The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

time had arrived, he was told that he might go to his room. It was the giant who told bim this, All the others had quitted the workshop, and when the giant had quitted it also, never doubt-— ing that Harold would at once follow his instructions, the young apprentice was left alone. | Thinking nothing of any special reason why his master should wish him to retire so early, the boy did not hurry himeelf to quit the shop, but kept working away at the simple work which Master Leslie had set him. Time passed quickly. What with his own labour, and the amuse- ment he obtained from examining the curious armour around him, he took no note of the hours, and it was dark and the storm had begun before he remembered that he had been told to retire. The lightning flashed vividly and beautifully over the brightly polished armour, each flash illumining every point of steel in the work- shop. Standing up at the window, where his form was hidden by a coat of mail, he was glancing out upon the increasing storm, when a sound met his ears that rivetted him to the spot. ‘For the king |! One and ten !” cried a voice, Then a cloaked man entered the yard and waited. . “For the king! second. | And so on until eleven stood in the dark court. Then the giant himself came and opencd the door of the workshop. ‘There ia some mystery here,” thought Harold ; “and if he finds | am here, and shall discover it, he will destroy me.” He looked round him everywhere for a place of concealment. The workshop was full of old pieces of armour, but there was no time to move from the spot where he now atood, and the giant bad already turned the key in the lock when he determined to remain where he was. So making the best of a bad job, he coiled himself beneath the shadow of the old coat of mail, and remained perfectly still. He had hardly concealed himeelf, when the giant came into the workshop, ushering in his eleven companions, whose features were all hidden by masks and low hats. “Gentlemen,” he said, “I have apologised so often for our peculiar place of meeting, that [ will no longer do so. You are satisfied that I am a staunch friend of the good cause, and that if I dared I could give you a better one,” This speech, which had been said in the same voice and with the same intonation and pomposity of manner for weeks before, was received with great seriousness by the assembled gentlemen, who ranged themselves round the working tables as best they could. What followed was quite unintelligible to Harold. ‘They spoke of strange things— of the tyranny of Oliver Cromwell—of the long wished-for One and nine!” said a THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, restoration of Charles If. ; things which Harold ' did not understand, but which impressed him with the idea that some terrible revolution was impending, The eleven men listened in silence while Master Leslie, the armourer, read out to them a report of some proceedings, and disclosures for the future, Then at a whisper from one of the other men he left the workshop. Hardly had he gone then there was a noise like the clanging of a bell; then a rattle as of alender steel chains ; then one of the huge coats of armour, standing erect in a cerner, was moved aside, and a female figure stepped into the room. It was Alicia, the eldest daughter of the armourer. A murmur of pleasure greeted ber appearance. The men were evidently quite prepared for her coming, although her strange and wild manner was calculated to impress them at first with an idea that all was not right. “Gentlemen,” she said, glancing at the door as if she expected to see her father return, ‘‘ Gentlemen, you have heard what my father has to say, and, as usual, you are aware that the reverse of what he has said is the trath, Here are the instructions to each of you; take them as quickly as possible.” : The eleven men advanced one by one and ree ceived from her hands a small piece of p:per, taking it sileatly and retiring again without speaking, Harold watched the proceedings in silence, Presently one of the eleven stopped, and when he received the letter from the hands of Alicia Leslie, the armourer’s daughter, he passed another to her. She received it with a smile and whispered what seemed to be but one word. Then he passed away like the rest, and in a few moments the eleven conspirators had retired to their several places, and the armourer’s daughter had disappcared, and the giant had returned. Then, after a hurried consultation, the eleven quitted the workshop, and the place was now in its old darkness. The young apprentice was once more locked in. W hat was he to do? How could he get out? He looked uround him, The door by which the giant had emerged was locked. There was no egress there, He tried the door by which the young girl had appeared. it was locked also. He glanced round again, and then he crawled | round to the windows. They were double bolted What was now to be done? To be found there in the morning would be to preve himself an iograte to the first bencfactors e had ever met. Just as he thought this—just as the tears were rising to his eyes, an answer to the bubb ing at his heart—he heard a alight noise in one corner of the room. He listened, keeping very stili. The noise at once ceased. still Harold had the sense to listen. = GOVE OOO