The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

4 4, (47 45°; REO. 136 THE YOUNG APPRENTICE. the boat was rowed, Harold and his companion returned towards the spot where the man had fallen when he had n shot dead by the daughter of the mountebank. Kneeling down he began to examine the pockets of the dead man. A very little investigation brought to light a letter, in which the whole scheme for the re- lease of the king was detailed. The most important part of all, however, namely, the names of the conspirators, was omitted, and in fact the letter was neither addressed nor signed. It began—“ My dear——” and ended, “ Yours ‘No doubt the dash and the cross mean some- thing.” said Harold Fordyce. “At any rate this letter will be of great service. I will take it at once to Lord Farley ; or better, I will send it on to Cromwell.” “Good,” said Max, “that would be the best way, and I will take it,” “You shall. When does Cromwell enter London ?” ‘In two days.” “Very well,” .ssid Harold; “it will be as well for him to know this at once. J shall see him on the day he enters, when the citizens in their best, and the train bands with their music, and the apprentices with their flags and banners, will turn out to welcome the great conqueror and patriot. ‘“ Harold,” cried Max, as they turned away, ‘there is not in England a man more devoted to Cromwell than yourself.” “It may be,” said Harold ; “and there is no man in England more worthy of devotion. But come, we must carry our Alsatian friend away, or he will die on the ground like adog.” - In the meantime, Quelf and his companion rowed swiftly across the dark rivér, and reach- ing the vessel, were received with eagerness by the impatient conspirators. The news he brought was in one way satis- factory, though the loss of the Freneh officer was a serious blow. ‘He has treasonable papers about him, more- over,” said Lord Raymond, “which may upset all our plans. Heaven be praised, however, no mention is made of the queen. ' Her majesty is safe, therefore, from her enemies.”” — The next night came, About eight in the evening, a body of one hundred men were landed on the Kentish bank of the river. and took their way at a gentle pace along the Old Dover Road. At a quarter to nine, Quelf, with ten com- panions whom he had raked together from the scum of his friends, assembled at the house of the mountebank, where they were supplied with orses, These then started across London Bridge, while the queen, in a comman Hackney coach, set out with Lord Stantonbridge and two French attendanta, Half an hour after their departure a second troop =" hundred men landed in Kent and ollow The reason for this arrangement was obvious. The troops, if surrounding the carriage, would attract notice. The apprentices, dressed in different cos- tumes and straggling hither and thither on the route, could act as spies without causing any suspicion, and would, moreover, at any given moment be able to gather together and protect the queen.until such time as the soldiers could be brought to the rescue. The night favoured their enterprise. It was very dark, and very few passengers were going by. The carriage proceeded on uninterruptedly. No one, indeed, suspected that the queen was still in England. All imagined that she had departed from the country immediately after the last defeat of the king, but it was not so. She had allowed her enemies to believe this, simply for the purpose of defeating them ; for she had heard of the terrible fate which in all probability threatened her husband, and had resolved to remain in England to aid him as far as was possible. Among the‘ Royalist party, however, there was little hope now. __ With the arrest and imprisonment of the king, all hope seemed to have died out of their breasts. The arty was crushed, and in their ranks the queen foun no one willing to promise a rescue. In this strait, she resolved once more to fiy to France and to Holland, and to obtain abroad the ‘aid which she seemed so utterly unable to find at home. So unsuspected, as I have said, ahe proceeded towards the coast. All that night they travelled. Afraid of exciting suspicion, if they continually changed horses, they proceeded at a moderate pace, so that when the morning broke, they were still some distance from their destination. They remained at the inn to rest during the day, the escort dispersing themselves in the ‘wooded country to conceal themselves from ob- servation ; and, when darkness once more fell over the country, they proceeded once more on their way. Some distance outside the harbour of Dover, a ship had for some time been lying, and it was to this ship that Henrietta Maria was rowed out over the still and silent waters. . Ere she entered the boat, she stooped and picked up a piece of earth.- . , “J will take this little relic with me,” she said; “for this may be the last time that I gaze on the soil of England.” She had even then a fear of the future. The terror of some unknown evil was even at this moment weighing upon her heart. As she stood on the deck of the vessel, and gazed back at the cliffs, white and glistening in the moonlight, she saw in her mind’s eye two phantom shapes standing on the cliff. The one was Charles Stuart, the other his executioner; but the face of the one was dis- tinct and uncovered, the face of the other was SARS ey GS pall NOTICE.—-ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL COLOURED PICTURE GIVEN AWAY with this — NS Number. Others will follow in a few weeks. GOMES O146S in