The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

i. \ : (GN On My > | : _ 1 140 THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, She stood spell-bound—unable to move as he came up and took her hand. . “‘T promised you my vengeance,”’ he said, in a hoarse thick voice; ‘come and see what we have done.” He raised the Jamp in the same hand as that which held his sword, and still holding her firmly, led her up the stairs. Up to the top of the house he took her, and throwing open the door, he showed her the ghastly scene within. An old woman was lying dead upon a bed with the blood trickling down the white clothes |! Nelly Dyser spake not. She seemed turned to stone ! ‘That woman was your friend and adviser,’’ said Quelf. “ She is dead !’’ Then, like an arch-fiend proud of his horrid work, he led her down to the next floor. Again, in two rooms the same scene—in the one a youth, in the other a young girl—the first a brother, the second a sister, Are you satisfied that I can revenge myself ?”’ he asked. The girl shuddered: ‘‘ Where is my father ?” she asked. ‘‘ He is gone—you will never see him again.” “ You have murdered him |” she cried, fiercely. The words—the thought gave her sndden strength and courage. She was roused in a moment from her apathy. Suddenly dashing upon him, she snatched a knife from his girdle. In another instant the gleaming blade was raised on high, and the blow descended. But it was in vain. Drank with blood and drink as he was, Quelf's instinct of self-preservation was strong within him, and he seized her wriat ere the knife touched him. “Ah! hal” be laughed, “my little fury, you are foiled; I will see you have no further chance,” Then, before she was aware of what he was doing, he pressed a handkerchief to her face, and she fainted away in his arms. A demoniacal yell of delight escaped his hideous lips, as he saw her lying thus helpless and at his mercy. “ Ah!” he chuckled, “my pretty one. You aré mine now ; no more jeering. no more insults, You will succumb to me at last.” Then, raising a whistle to his mouth, he whistled long and shrilly. Before the echoes had died away, the sound of footsteps was heard escending the stairs; and, in another moment, several of Quelf's boon companions, drunk and blood-stained like him- self, surrounded him. “Hal ha!” cried Humphrey Javener, Quelf's right hand man in every act of villany, “ what pretty charmer have we here ?” The dwarf frowned. : “She is mine! she "is to be my wife,” he said, ““s0 no unseemly jesta about her. Is the boat ready ?” “It is.” ‘Then prepare to aid me to carry her to it. Is the body of the mountebank safely stowed away ?”” ; “ You had best let me carry the lady,” replied Humphrey Javener, “your crooked legs have a knack of overlapping, and you may chance to let her fall.” The jeer at any other time would have made auelf draw his sword, and chance the issue of a fight. . But he was in no,humour for more blood at this moment. His object now was to get away safely with Nelly. “ Hold your peace,” he cried; “at another time I will see whether with my crooked limbs I.cannot give you your qguietus ; lead on, and that quickly, or I'll fire into your thick skall.” The other, laughing at the threat, Jed the way, and they soon reached the lower floor, where several of the young assassins who had divided the gold among them, were drinkidf strong ale and rapidly becoming intoxicated. “ Now, then, my men,” cried Quelf, “ you have your prize—I have mine ; let us go.” A loud cheer answered his words, and the ghastly throng made their way into the street. Very soon they were afloat on the river, and making their way rapidly towards the old house in Lambeth, Nelly Dyser was now helplessly—hopelessly ip the power of her hated enemy, and there seemed no clue whatever by which her lover could discover the perpetrator of the horrid and unprecedented atrocities of that night. CHAPTER XVII. LAYING A SNARE, IT was some time now since Harold Fordyce had heard of Lord Clement Villiers ; and it was natural, therefore, that he should feel some sur- prise when, early on the morning following, he met him on his way to join the apprentices who were to welcome Cromwell on his entry into London. The most violent threats had been held out by the mayor and corporation, The train bands had been called out and drilled, the Tower was more fully manned and guarded, and the city gates were closed to oppose the entrance of Cromwell into the metropolis.. But, no sooner had the great conqueror ap- proached within a few miles of London than the mayor and his friends changed their tune. The gates were re-opened, the church bells rang & merry peal, and flags waved from the houses. The mayor and his aldermen kept within their homes, while the population turned out into the streets to welcome their friend and liberator. Harold Fordyce and his apprentices lined the road near Whitehall, and cheered him as he eatered the palace, which he had cleansed of one Court, only to be filled, alas, after his death, by one more libertine and degraded under the leadership of that arch-libertine, Charles the Second. Cromwell had not forgotten the one who had saved him on the field of battle at the peril of his own life. Just as the people were dispersing, and com- Then take the lamp and precede me.” menting, as they did so, upon the aspect and ) os we FY COMED OOKSEEO