The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 230: what you’re looking at

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

THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. and make once more towards Northampton, when the sound of voices was once more heard, and two persons entered the hut. They had come so noiselessly over the green sward that their footeteps were not observable until they had entered the gravelled wood shed, The moon had, as I have before said, burst forth brilliantly at the time that Harold Fordyce was seeking for some means of escape from the battlemented terrace of Lady Grace Cowley’s house, and now, as the new comers entered the hut, the bright silvery light revealed the forms of two apparently young men, one of whom was much taller than the other. The latter, in fact, had a timidity of walk and a smuliness of yoice which seemed to betray the fact that she was a woman in disguise. Both the armourer and Harold Fordyce were seized simultaneously with this idea, but there was no opportunity of divulging their thoughts. Even to whisper under present circumstances ' would have been to risk discovery. Not that they feared discovery, by the two new-comers, It was not fear ‘which deterred them from risking being seen. It was a presentiment that they were upon the eve of some great disclosure. So they listened, ‘‘ Well, Emily,” said the taller of the two, ‘you have managed everything very cleverly.” They knew the voice at once. It was Harry Martin’s, The disguised girl laughed. ‘You are a flatterer, Harry,” she answered ; * IT don't like you any the better for it.” ‘Would you have me blame you, then?” asked he, bending down, and kissing her, “No, no; but don’t flatter. I think I've managed very badly.” “ How so?” “In putting on these men’s clothes.” ‘Why ?” “Because I shall be sure to be found ont,” said the girl. ‘TI can't see it. I think you look the character to the life ; besides, you knuw how much depends upon this. If you save the king’s life, I and you will be wealthy for the rest of our lives,” “Well, well,” said the girl, ““I have gone so far, and I will not retreat now. Explain to me exactly how matters stand, Here, where no one can overhear us, we can speak freely.” Harold Fordyce had, as she spoke, felt an in- stinctive belief that he had met this fair plotter before. Where, he could not recollect. The voice was not quite sufficient to remind him; but as she spoke these last words, she turned her face towards the moonlight. He saw now who it was. It was the treacherous beauty who had lured him from Varney House, and cast him a second time inte the hands of Lady Grace Cowley. “Well,” said Harry Martin, “I will tell you briefly how matters stand, Cromwell has sent two emissaries from London to apprise the Commander of Holmby House that the king is to be brought to London.” ‘‘ Who are the emissaries ?” ‘* My most deadly enemies.” “ The armourer and his apprentice ?”’ “The same, Well, before they can reach Northampton, you on the horse yonder can reach Holmby.” “ And when there ?”’ ‘You can take this letter to the commander.” ‘¢ And what does this contain ?” she asked, as she took the missive, ‘The means of saving the king,'’’ returned Martin. “ Then I will go.” ‘Brave girl! But listen. Lord Raymond, who was so great a friend to me, and who has aided me in every way, and was, moreover, 86 stannoh siisapposred™ Charles Stuart, has mys- texiously disap ” “ Murdered—may be?” “I doubt it. I fancy he has been spirited away. But with his disappearance has come the disappearance also of one who more than counterbalanced his power.” ‘ Whom do you mean ?” “THE MAN WITHOUT A NAME?” The girl shuddered. ‘‘T always dread that man,” she said, ‘“ Lady Grace has often told me of his mysterious power, and I should die if I met him, ] am certain. All others I covld face, but there is about him some- thing so ghastly and supernatural that I should think he brought with him my death-warrant.” The treacherous villain, who was sending her upon an errand which he feared to fulfil himself, passed his arm round her waist, and preased her closely to him. ‘‘ Fear not,” he said; “he is not in any way cognisant of this business, He has no connection whatever with those at whose desire you go, or against whom you fight. Still, if your heart fails you, I will not press you to accept the position which you have assumed, If fear is at your heart, you can effect nothing. If, on the other hand, you can dismiss these groundless alarms and go forward boldly, why, you know that honour and wealth await you.” ‘Then why do you not aid me?” ‘‘T cannot.” “Why not accompany me !” “Duty calls me elsewhere, dearest,” said Harry Martin ; “ but do as I wish. Confeas you are unable to perform this enterprise if your heart is beginning to fail you.” The girl heaved a deep sigh and pressed her hand on her bosom, : Within that warm, soft tenement her heart beat wildly. “ No,”’ she said ; ‘‘I have begun it and I will go through with it now. But you havc not told me all I wish to know.” “ What, then, do you wish to learn ?”’ ‘The exact position of that nest of conspira- tors and enemies against whom we have to con- tend, in order that I may tell the king.’’ ‘Good. Well, the armourer and his appren- tice are safe in the hands of Lady Grace Cow- ey.” * That is well.” “Lord Villiers and his wife are safe in their own home, Their security has been so great, that they have forgotten the terrors which sur- rounded them in the past.” ‘The storm will soon burst again,” You are right. Lord Raymond, our friend, and the Man without a Name, have both disap- AQ GOVE OOO < oe a) "Ke Y =) \ f CO