The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

heads he had taken, and they were resolved that this stern justice should be meted to him. Yet there was an affectation still of respect to m. While Charles was at Hampton Court Crom- well held constant communication with him. Various stories are told in relation to this, Some say that the fature Lord Protecter of England was treating for honours for himself ; others, on the contrary, stated that he went there for the purpose of inducing him to treat with the Parliament on terms which would have saved him from his fate. The king himself was surprised at his kind- ness, He was allowed the attendance of one of his own chaplains, and he had also, through Crom- well’s interference, the happiness of once more embracing his children, the Dukes of York and Gloucester, and the Princess Elizabeth. Now all was changed. For some reason or another Cromwell kept aloof from him. Perhaps this was in consequence of the two attempts at escape, which he had made by the advice of foolish friends. The Government of England was entirely vested in the army, from whose members a species of council was selected, which, under the appellation of grandees, dictated in the form of a petition the course which it behoved Par- liament to pursue. It was from these Persone that the idea ersanated of trying the king publicly for high treason. The king’s friends had a suspicion as to what kind of fate would await their royal master. In fact, the queen herself, even before she had seen the vision on the cliffs at Dover, had spoken to Lord Stantonbridge upon the subject, and had entreated him in her absence to watch over the king’s safety. “ Cromwell will have his blood,” she said. “I know he meant that from the first.”’ However wrong this idea might have been at the time, there was no doubt that the exeeution of the king, firat suggested by Ireton, had been now resolved on by Cromwell, The king’s friends, therefore, had determined upon g one more effort to release him from custody, before the time for the trial was Quelf, the dwarf, had now won for himself something of a prestige. is murderous dagger had successfully taken the place of the ponderous sword of the t, and, as we have seen, many &@ young and brave friend of the Republican cause had fallen by his cowardly knife. He had, moreover, assisted the queen in her fiight, and won, thereby, the golden opinion of many cavaliers, who would never have coun- tenanced him, had they known how man innocent lives had been taken under the cl of political necessity, elf, therefore, was immediately thought of by Lord Raymond as the most likely and person to | intrust with the arrangements for the enterp Lord Raymond, being a man who was entirely devoid of conscience and compunction, never THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, for one moment remembered how much he was prejudicing the king’s cause by connecting him with an assassin, To Quelf, therefore, was assigned the office of collecting together a band of fierce and des- perate spirita, who would be ready to enter into any perilous enterprise for gain; and for this purpose the dwarf paid a visit once more to his ends in Alsatia. He had not forgotten that upon the last oc- casion of his meeting Captain Lackland, that worthy was upon the side of Cromwell ; but he had no doubt that the sight of a few golden pieces would secure his services to whichever side required. Upon receiving the intimation, therefore, of what he was required to do, Quelf immediately quitted the old house by the river, where he had, for a time, ensconced himseif, and made for the inn where the terribie combat had taken place between Harold and the king’s e found the Alsatian seated by the fire, with his usual tankard of ale before him. There was one thing unusual in hia appear- ance, however. His face was pale, and his red nose had be- come greatly modified in colour. His left arm was in a sling, and a lar protuberance en the shoulder showed that he was still bandaged. P “ You are not dead, then, you ruffian,” cried uelf. “No, but very near it,” groaned the captain. “ Your cursed sword very nearly gave me pepper. I wonder that you show yourself here, where all my friends may set upon you.” “ Oh,” said Quelf, “I fear them not, I bring news of gold in plenty, and I know that the sight of that will ish all feelings of animo- ¢t 93 y. ‘‘ Ah, ah! my young friend,” said the captain, “you are right ; gold salves most wounds; but I fear me if much-has to be done to earn this treasure I shall be of little use to you. Armida has had bat little chance of work of late, for my shoulder is in the most accursed pain.” “T will go elsewhere,” said Quelf. ‘“‘ Where is Radstock ?”’ “T know Abe night yeu Lackland ; “he dia appeared on the t you attacked me, an cannot conceive where hehas concealed himself.” ‘Well, I must seek some of your fellows,” said Quelf ; “ you cannot suppose that I should come here after a cowardly fellow like you.” So saying, the dwarf quitted the room, and walked into the bar, The Alsatian followed him with anger in his eyes, They were lighted up by the blaze of hatred which one might expect to see in the orbs of some animal that is conscious of its own weak- neas and inability to punish or destroy its enemy, “Ah! my fine fellow,” cried he, shaking his fist in the direction of the door, “I'll be even with you. There is no use in threatening you with my sword, or my valorous arm should deairoy you like a thunderbolt. But, no. My right hand is powerless from weakness ; I must punish you by stealth.” He rose accordingly, and listened at the door. GOhMPED OOS CO