The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

briige, when he came fall butt against the Alsatian Captain Lackland. At the same moment he saw Lord Clement Villiers approaching. Quick as thought it occurred to him that here was another chance of revenge. ‘‘ Lackland,’ he cried, “ you have come in the nick of time. Here comes a man with heaps of gold.” ‘* Where ?”’ ‘‘ See, here he advances,” ‘Well, what am I to do?” “JT will seize him, and rob him, .while you drive a dagger in his back,” ‘SGood,” said Lackland; “that will suit me, And the money ?”’ “Is between us.” “Fair and square ?” ‘* Yes, half each, upon my honotr.” “Then, I'm your man. Here goes.” As Lord Clement approached, Lennox made a sudden dash at him, and, plunging his band into his breast pocket, drew forth his money. Lord Clement would have been quite a match for them in fair fight, but no sooner had Lennox completed his resolution, than, rushing on him, Lackiand bent him backward over the coping stone of the bridge, and, with one blow, he buried the poniard to the bilt in his bosom. Another moment, and the night air was rent by a fearful shriek. Another, and the body fell from the parapet; with a crash it struck against some projection in the stonework of the bridge, and, then, a mangled mass of quivering inanimation, it cleaved the dark waters, and was gone. ‘‘ Murder!” shrieked Lackland, as he held at arms length the blood-stained poniard. ‘“ Murder !”’ Lennox sprang upon him, and held a portion of his clothing over his face, to stop the mad cry that he uttered. “Fool, idiot!” he said. ‘*Do you want to make more alarm than there ‘is already on the night air? What do you mean by shouting murder ?” “Did I? Oh, God! “Hush! Give me that dagger, There, it is gone. Ihave themoney. Whilst you struggled with him, I cut off the skirt of his coat in which he had it all. The deed is donc, and it has succeeded. You have the gold, You have won at last,” * Won? won?” “Yes. Why do you stare in such a way? I can see your eycs like balls of fire, even in the darkness, Come away, come away.” ‘* Hush | the —-— Hush !” “What is it? what do you listen for?” “ Heijscoming again. Ghastly and mangled, he is climbing from the water, and up—up the slippery side of the bridge. There! do you not bear him? He breathes hard; and upon the slimy green stones that touch the tide he slips in blood. With his nails he clutches the crevices, and comes up—to me! The roaring wind helps him, and a thousand mocking devils hold up his mangled limbs to greet me with a sight of horror, Help! away! help! His glazed eye is upon me, and from his wound spouts forth the hot gore |” Lennox clutched the coward by the collar, and OG: ,w aae- omnes “ee THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, by one arm dragged him forcibly along towards the Surrey side of the river. A number of lights appeared at the further end of the brid:e, and he increased his speed, still dragging on the poor victim of the hour. For what a far sadder wretch was Captain Lack- land than he whom they had hurled to meet his death amidst the surging waters of the river, When once Lennox got Lackland on the run, he continued it, with a kind of mechanical impulse, He would have shouted ‘“ Murder!” in the same way, had he been encouraged so to do. There was also one great thing that Lennox gained by keeping him at such speed. He could not rave as he had; could not give forth to the night his frantic yells of fear. They got off the bridge quite unrerceived, for, as I have said, it was from the other side that the lights bad come, and as the murder had been done on the Middlesex side, and the wind had carried the sounds of strife that way, but little commotion was to be expected among the scared passengers on the Surrey s.de. A watchman stop them as they emerged from the archway of the old bridge. “ All’s right,” cried Lennox. “My friend here has had a little too munch wine to-night, that is all, and Iam getting himhome, Is there a hackney-coach near?” “ Yes, sir, round yon corner there are three,” “Thank you,” said Lennox, slipping a piece of money into his hand, “I will take your ad- vice. Meanwhile, I would hurry to the bridge ; there is something wrong there I believe.” Leaving the old Charley to make the best of his way thither, he led his companion down a narrow court-yard, and opening a door witha latch-key, admitted him to a room on the first floor of a dingy house. The room was intensely dark. ‘Wait here a moment,” said he. “ Where am 1?” asked Lackland, tremulously. “In my house,” returned the other. ‘ Wait an instant, and I will bring a light, and some- thing to refresh you.” So saying, he passed out. In a few moments he re-appeared, with alamp and a bottle of wine, the contents of which the Alsatian quickly disposed of. For some five minutes the apprentice watched his actions in quiet, Then the Alsatian half rose, and staggered heavily, and finally laid himself upon the couch where he had been sitting, and fell into a deep sleep. “Good |” cried Lennox, triumphantly, “ all gocs well, When he wakcs, he can be easily persuaded that this night’s work is a dream,”’ So saying, he passed out and locked the door on the outside. | CHAPTER XXYV., THE MEETING OF THE CONSPIRATORS — THE SCHEME OF REVENGE—THE FAIR WATCHER —THE STRANGE SOUNDS IN THE OLD HOUSE —-THE DWARF—THE HIDDEN CHAMBER OP DEATH. QUELF and his discomforted companions, after their defeat by Harold Fordyce and his friends, book