The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

‘ \ ~ & fa 2) same moment that the gold ornaments were flung after him by Nelly. He had no chance of revenge then; for, when he rose from the ground and drew his sword, the door was shut, and no Joud hammering or shout- ing was successful in bringing any one to open it. ‘‘Never mind, Harrok Dyser,” muttered the young villain, “ you shall soon pay dearly for this. Blood shall wash outthis insult, Against you and yours, I vow, from this moment, a terrible, unceasing vengeance. Tremble, then, fur Quelf, who never breaks a vow of revenge, has sworn to take your life.” With these words, he hurried away, leaving the presents in the mud where they had been thrown, his heart bursting with rage and hu- miliation and his mind racked by the invention of terrible means of revenge. CHAPTER XVI. MURDER IN THE AIR. NELLY was in tears when she entered again the room with her father. She sat down by the fire, pressing her hands over her pretty bosom as if to satay the tumul- tuous beatings of her heart, and for some time she gazed at the fire without speaking. “Why weep ; why be sad?” cried the mounte- bank; “ with such worth and beauty it is not for you to weep. Sitting there, you look more lovely than the queen who so lately filled that chair. As for that misshapen wretch who has annoyed you, why care for him ?”’ “ He kiased me !” exclaimed Nelly, in disgust. *T can feel now the touch of his hideous lips. Oh! I dread; I fearhim, I know I shall come through him to some terrible end, or that yon, dear father, will he ruined through him.” The mountebank smiled. * You are alarmed and agitated now, dear girl,” he said; “but you are so unnecessarily. This dwarf of Satan can easily be got rid of. I am not bloodthirsty or given to quarrelling, but if he insults you I should think as little of sticking him with my knife as I should of kill- ing a pig for my eating. Go to bed, child, and dream of other things.” “T shall see his hideous face through all the hours of the night,” said Nelly. “And your gold, father, have you put that away safely ? The thief might come in the night and rob you of it.” “True; I will see toit. I will take it to my chamber,” said Harrok, as his daughter kissed him and passed up into her own room. Oh, better far, Harrok Dyser, would it have been had that thought never entered your head ! Better far for you and for the one you wished to protect ! But fore-knowledge is not given to us, and so the mountebank gathered up his gold and placed it in its box again, and, putting out the lights in the house, carried his treasure away with him to his sleeping apartment. Nelly, meanwhile, slowly undressed herself. It was yet early, and there waa no feeling of drowsincss upon her. THE ‘WATOHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. \ 189 Her thoughts were occupied with the dwarf and his threats, though now and then a fancy would enter her mind as to how handsome and noble Max Bowden would look on the next day when Cromwell was to enter London in state, and the young apprentices were to form part of the guard to receive him. It was love for him that made her sigh—love for him that made her admire her own bright blue eyes, and lovely skin, and creamy shoulders in the mirror; love for him that made her hum the words of an old love-ditty ; and love for him that lulled her off to sleep when at length she nestled her pretty limbs into her warm bed. Lulled off to sleep thus by dreams of love, she heard none of the voices of the night. But towards morning a dense smoke, a sickening, strange-smelling smoke invaded the room, and she awoke with a loud and hacking cough to find her chamber filled with an atmosphere which obscured the light of the moon, Rising, she hastily dressed herself in such things as she could quickly lay her hands upon, and running to the door, she shrieked aloud. But no answer came, She screamed and screamed again. In vain. The house seemed deserted, or inhabited by the dead only. Impressed by a terrible foreboding, feeling certain that some horror awaited her, she de- scended the stairs towards her father’s room. Father, father !” see cried, as she neared it, fearing to go in until she heard his voice in answer. No answer ! Still the grimy smoke came coiling up the staircase—and yet there seemed no fire ! At length, mustering up courage, she entered her father’s room. What a scene was there ! On the table, in the centre of the room, was burning a lamp; while the heavy curtains at the windows were smouldering, and all over them and the floor, and the table, and even on the lamp itself were splashes of blood. And then—oh! horror of horrors—on the white coverlid of the bed was the hand of a dead man. It had been severed at the wrist, and there it lay, with its white fingers listleasly spread out in a pool of blood. “Ob, heavens |!” she cried, “in what a scene of horroramI! AmIdreaming? Is this some hideous vision, or am I really the victim of that dwarf'’s revenge? Is this the vengeance he romised? Has my poor father been punished or my fault?” - As she spoke, there was a rustling sound near her ; and turning round, she beheld Quelf, the dwarf, standing near her—all bloody from his murderous wor Blood was on his hands and on his clothes; his face was smeared with it—his hair was matted with it. His eyes, redzand inflamed with drink, shone out at her like those of a demon, and his dig- torted features were convalsed with a grin that had nothing in it of humanity, - He advanced towards her, irk 2 Le ~~, or \ 4 ( o) a GOVE OO OKSHGOnn