The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

> 2) = ——_ \ fd (so | 7 \ THE WATCHWORDS discovered ? How was it, if you saw the deed done, that you did not endeavour to prevent it? How is it that, if you found it done and knew not its perpetrator, you did not alarm me first ?”’ Harry Martin smiled sardonically, : “My lady, I saw you leaning over the mur- dered man,” he said, ‘‘and I knew then how the dced had been done. Come,” he added, to the servants, “come, and see what a terriple thing has been perpetrated, and then you will understand why I speak thus to my mistress,” As he spoke, he led the way into the room where Lord Harcourt lay in all the stillness and horror of a violent death. He had been a bad master and a bitter enemy to many, but the sight of his white hair and his pale blood-stained visage drew from the servants a groan of horror, “ Horrible!” “ Terrible!” ‘ Oh! how pale he looks!” were the murmurs of the assembled domestics, and then they cast pained glances at the beautiful woman who was at once their Veloved mistress and the accused murderess of the old man. “ She never did it,” “ Harry’s mistaken,’ “‘ The real assassin has escaped.” Such were the murmurs that ran from mouth to mouth, Then suddenly there was a louder murmur, and the men and women made way for new comers, These were the constables. “ Where is the prisoner?” asked the foremost of them, a tall man with a black beard. “ There,” said Harry Martin, “it is Lady Villiers who has done this deed.” The new comer affected astonishment. “ Lady Villiers !”” he cried, ‘ impossible‘!” ‘( Nevertheless, it is so,” said Harry Martin, “I saw ber leaning over the body of the mur- dered man, and her hands are red with blood. My master will, no doubt, blame me, but justice must be done on the guilty.” “ Madam,” said the constable, approaching Lady Blanche Villiers, “I must do my duty, It is a sad office which I have to perform; but you \ ill, Tam sure, excuse and pardon me for performing it,”’ “Sir,” said Lady Blanche, “it would be mere folly to accuse you. I am ready, Let my waiting-maid bring me my travelling things, and I will accompany you at once.” In a few minutes she bad attired herself, and; taking leave of the servants, who were now weeping, she quitted the house with the con- stables, Outside the mansion a coach waited. This struck Lady Blanche as suspicious. ‘“You knew who was your prisoner, then ?’’ she said, “No, my lady. We were told, however, that she was a lady, and we brought this lest we should expose an innocent woman to unjust annoyances,” With these strained words of politeness, the man opened the coach door, and she entered. The vehicle then drove off at a rapid pace, and took its way towards the Strand. It had no sooner started than one of the con- stables darted suddenly forward, and cast a handkerchief over the face of Lady Blanche. OF OLD LONDON. She had no time to struggle, or, in fact, make any resistance ; the only thing she observed was that strong hands were bindiug her limbs, Then she lapsed into utter insensibility, When she awoke, she was in utter darkness, lying on a bed, Evidently she was in a small room, from the sound which her voice produced when ehe called aloud. But it was very cold. It seemed, truly, from ita chilly and cavern- like atmosphere, as if it. was under ground. _ Again and again she called, bnt it was quite in vain, Nothing but the echo of her own voice anawered her; and at length, wearied out by weeping and watching, she fell asleep. When she awoke again, there was no daylight streaming in upon her couch, but there was a lamp standing near her upon a table, which kad evidently been recently placed there. She could now see what kind of spot she had been brought to. A long tvom, with walls of uneven brick, a tressle bed, a little table, and a chair ; such com- posed the principal furniture of the room. She did not take special notice of this, how- It secmed the natural aspect of a prison. Another hour of waiting brought some onc to the dvor, who carefully locked it after him when he eutered the gloomy chamber. ‘Hal my lady,” cried the new comer, as he approached the bed on which sbe lay, fully Gressed,as on the night before, “Ha! my lady, you are awake, then! How like you your new home ?”” She uttered a cry of terror as her eyes fell upon his form. It was Peter Quelf who spoke, and her glance was full of horror and disgust as she looked upon his limbs, distorted by misfortune and Nature's freak, and his face distorted, not only by ugliness, but by evil passions. ‘Who are you?” she cried, as a vague idea crossed her mind that she had seen him before. Quelf chuckled, With those whom he hated he gloried in the fact that his ugliness produced terror and disgust. “Oh, you know me,” he cried, “ you know me. You've seen mec before with Lord Raymond’ Poor fellow! you used him shamefully. But he means to make up for it. Jvw punished and thwarted him; now fe will punish and thwart you. There’s nothing like making up for lost time.” “At least, tell mc where I am?” asked the captive. ‘You are beneath the house of one whom you look upon as your best friend, but who is now powerless to aid you—that of Harold Fordyce, the Apprentice, and Frank Leslie, his master.”’ “ Beneath their house! Under ground !’’ ex- claimed Blanche, clasping her hands, ‘Yes, indeed.” “And why here? Why beneath the earth ? Is it in ‘such places as these that Cromwell’s government places prisoners before they are tried P” GOVE OO © eS CO