The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

- —_——_ ~ _——— -~ retired into the ruined out-house to rest and consult, He sat sullenly for some time by the fire, apart from his friends, with a scowl upon his brow, while the young negro girl carried foam- ing tankards of ale round to the guests, In bis own mind the dwarf was revolving new echemes of venveance, Fortune seemed to have made, as it were, a dead set at him, While saving his life, it had apparently made his enemies not only invulnerable, but proof even against misfortune. “My friends,” he said at length, when the strong ale had freely circalated, ‘‘my friends, we have been cruelly beaten this day, we must have our revenge.” ‘“‘ Aye, aye,” cried all, clinking their glasses. “The best revenge we can take is retaliation. He has taken from me the one I loved, I will do the same for him.” Again a drunken cheer. “To-morrow night at nine we wifl gather near the house of Leslie, the armourer; we will watch until they go out, which / wi.l take care they do; and then I will rush in and carry off his youngest daughter, while you plunder the house.” This latter announcement was received with cheers again. The ruffians were delighted at the idea of plunder, no matter if murder had to be done for it, With this understanding they separated, and the drunken outcasts of Alsatia staggered home at day-break. On the following day, at eight in the evening, the armourer received the following note :— **' Your services are required af once at the house of Lord Montague. He needs yourself and your best appren- tice, and will pay well.” Ere nine o'clock they had left the house and were on their way. Alicia was from home also. With the exception of the servants, Kittie Leslie was alone in the house. It was never very pleasant for her to be left thus to her own resources for any length of time, but it was far less pleasant now that she could sit and think of the traps which were laid every- where for her friends; the peril which always menaced her beloved Harold Fordyce. How would she have trembled and shuddered —how would her heart have bled and her brain reeled—had she known the deadly snare into which, at no distant moment, her father and her lover were about to fall ! Sitting in her boudoir—ber own little chamber — Ettie had fancied she heard peculiar noises in the house, But the wind was high and the building was old, and its tremblings and totterings were matters of course with he , Time, however, passed on; the place seemed more gloomy than ever ; the silence more death- like ; and Ettie sprang to her feet once more. Another slight noise had alarmed her. Going gently to the door of the boudoir, and opening it, she looked into the corridor beyond. All was still. THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. ee, — — aE EE oo — = =e TV — <= oy —< “Tt was mere imagination,” she murmured, as she returned, ‘“‘or some accidental sound from below.” She then locked the door of the boudoir on the inside, and again sai down at the rich tapestry- covered table, her face betraying a crowd of anxious thoughts. “Silence,” she said, ‘Harold wil! soon be here ; and, though my father and Alicia arc from home, I shall feel quite secure with him by my side. What have I to fear? Why do I tremble so? The weather must be colder. It is; it can- not be anything but the cold. IthinkI will go to bed. Imagination is making a fool and a coward of me to-night. Ah! what is that? What—what is that ?” Again she sprang to her feet and listened, with terror in every feature and a nervous tremor in every limb, “What is it that thus affrights me?” she murmured. “Ob! why is it that to-day Iam the victim of a thousand fears? Ah! what is that ?” Again the atrange sound came upon her ears, and, creeping to the door she had so recently locked, she was about to call aloud for the servant. After a moment, however, she dropped her hold upon the lock. * No, no!’ she exclaimed, “I will conquer this foolish fear. Jt is nothing—nothing.” Again the strange sound struck upon her ears, and her terror was upon her once more. “Qh, it is something!" she cried, as she preased her clutching hands over her heaving breast. ‘Oh, it cannot be fancy! There is some terrible danger in store for me. Ob, God !” A concealed door was dashed open in the wall, and in an instant the distorted figure of Quelf the dwarf dashed into the room, and clutched her by the throat. He seemed mad. Drink, in fact, had made bim so, His eyes glared; his hair was on end; his face was bloodless, and the hand which clutched her throat was as hot as fire. It was no scream that escaped Ettie’s lips. It was a gurgling cry of distress. He held her far too tightly to admit of any loud exclamation of fear. “Hal ha!” he laughed, “I have you now. You shall not—cannot escape me. Harold Fordyce, now will I be avenged. You, who thrust yourself forward as the champion of others, to thwart and ruin me, shall find that I, too, have power to harm. Come! come! or you ahall ae.” She fought wildly with her hands, but the brutal ruffian forced her head back until the dirtorted muscles of her neck quivered. Then throwing her to the ground, he knelt on her chest, and quickly bound her hands and es. ‘ Ah, ah!" he kept muttering, as he did so, ‘ Ah, ah! Ihave you once more in my power, and this time—this time—you shall not escape me. A roaring, buzzing noise waa heard below as he rudely, with no care or decency, raised her lithe form, and flung it over his shoulder. “There are my fellows, rioting in plunder,” GOVE OO © CO