The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTIOE; OR, to the coast to escort a messenger, whom Crom- well has sent to Holland, “Indeed ; well, then, I thank Cromwell for this. You can do me, now that you are here, a most inestimable service,” “* What is it, colonel ? You know I am always y Blanche is again in danger. “ Again?” “Yes ; in the power of Lord Raymond.” “ Impossible |” “No; it is not so. True, he has gone to his last account, but she is confined here in a house against her will, and by his orders.” “ Then we must eave her. But you say that Lord Raymond has gone to his last account. Is the villain at length dead ?” “He is. 1 flung him from the summit of the cliffa, yonder; and if he survives that terrible fall, he must, indeed, be saved by a miracle,” “ Nothing delights me more than this. The ony, regret I foal is that I was not there to one. Bu me, my lord, where is Lady Blanche ?” ~ my _ “ At Boxley House,” “ Boxley House!” exclaimed one of the men. ‘The ouse |” Lord Clement uttered a of fear. ‘*‘ Madhouse!” he ex ed, ‘Oh, just Hesven ! do not say that word.” “Tt is true,” said the trooper; “quite true, my lord. I know Wheatatone well, and Boxley House is a place where they put the mad people. If Lady Villiers is there, my lord, you had better hasten; for in such a place she would not long seep her senses.” © way, then, my good fellow,” Villiers ; “we must lose no time,” cries The troopers at once turned, and followed the lead of their companion. were but the bl im- wit wan eect, ood of Villiers him © knew well what hideous scenes were ensctod in the asylums for lunatics, y ers must remember speakin of two hundred ago. mab ian . Cruelties may even now be done under the pretence of medical treatment; but, in those days, when there were no newspapers to publish grievances—when there was no quicker mode of communication between friends than the coach or a special messenger, the most hideous crimes Villie had heard ers reports of these, Tales had reached his ears of old men placed in the hands of a merciless keeper of an asylum and starved to death, that their relations might more quickly inherit their property ; of heirs disposed of in like manner; of gentle maidens stripped, flogged, and tortured into madness by brutal and libertine keepers, He felt half Mad at the bare idea of his young and beautiful wife being subjected to like indignities, and it was with a heart bursting with rage and impatience that he drew rein at the door of Boxley House, and awaited his com- panions, who were some yards behind him. The house stood back within a court-yard, but you could see by the lights within that all the windows were closely barred. At one of them he could see a woman's form all in white, raising her hands imploringly towards Heaven, worshipping, as it were, the clear bright sky of freedom without, “See! my lord,” said the map, “I did not tell you wrongly.” “ No, indeed,” returned Villiers, “ your words were too true, I will at once ring the bell, and if we cannot obtain her release in any other way, we must obtain it by force.” “Stay!” cried Ben Firebrace, “in all these matters, my lord, prudence, though hard to practise, is, after all, the beat. I have here enotgh black masks for all of ua. It will not do for me and my men to be seen and recognised in such an enterprise as this; at any rate, there is no necessity for braving publicity if there is no absolute necessity. I would advise you, also, my lord, to place one of these masks upon your ace. “T will take your advice,” said Lord Villiers. ‘‘ Give me one quickly, and let us enter.” In leas than five minutes the whole party were masked ready, and had rung the lond-sounding In a few moments the gate was opened by a dark-visaged man, who, at the first glimpse of the masked party, made an effort to close the portal again. They were too quick for him. Darting forward, they made a rush past him, and reached the inner gate. “What want you?” cried the man, in alarm. ‘To see the master of the honse,.” “This way, then,” growled the man, “ though I must say you have an unpleasant mode of doing things.” “ Quick—quick!" cried Lord Villiers, “we have no time to waste in words. Leadjus to him, or we shall break open the door.” Still grumbling, the man opened the door of the house, and admitted them to a wide passage, where they were told to wait a moment. — ‘There may be treachery here,” whispered Ben Firebrace to Lord Villiers, “we had best draw our swerds.” In a few moments the man returned. “Master Lockett will see you,” he said. ‘‘ Lead on, then.” The man then conducted them into a large room, where an old man was seated, He was a tall, finely-built man, with long white hair, falling in flowing curls over his shoulders. ‘¢What is your pleasure, gentlemen !” he said. ‘““We want the immediate release of Lady Villiers,” returned Lord Clement. The old man looked at him in real astonish- ment. “‘T know no such name,” he said. “Subterfuge is Of no avail with me,” cried Villiers, threateningly; “my wife is in your house here, I know it, and denial is of no avail, Deliver hex up to me, or we will tear the place brick from brick till we find her whom we seek.” “Gentlemen,” said Lockett, deprecatingly, “gentlemen, you aro really mistaken. I have only two ladies in my establishment, and neither of them has a name anything like that which you mention.” “ Who are these ladies ?” “The first is a person who has been under my care many years, and is an elderly woman.” GOVE OOO