The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

Vy $ Z ~ 220 he was about to make an astounding revelation, he removed his domino. To his friends the face was that-of Simon Lawless, To the king it brought another recognition. P “Strafford !’ he murmured, in undisguised ear, Simon Lawless smiled. ‘‘No,” he said, *‘not Strafford ; but one whom Nature has made like him, and who has before him the task of avenging him.” ‘¢ Who are you, then ?” “J am Simon Lawless— Strafford’s foster- brother,” “And what want you ?’’ ‘¢ T will tell you. There was one who in his early youth was loved by the Earl of Strafford, when, under his simple name of Wentworth, he roamed among the country meadows with me, with his rise, she rose also; with his fall, she ell,’ ‘ Not through me,” ‘Yes, yes, Charles Stuart. I have seen your writing,” said Lawless, solemnly; “deny it not,’ ‘¢] remember it not.” “Your memory strangely fails you, then. I will remind you. The young girl's name was Rose Lauderdale. When Strafford rose, her father became constable of Haworth Castle; when Straf- ford fell, one who had advised his most unjust and cruel execution, said—‘ Sweep away also those rsons who plotted with Strafford against you.’ ou pleaded for him—you did not plead for them. Glad to escape, perhaps, from the re- membrance of the one whom you had so much injured, you gave the place of constahle to another, and took from Strafford's friends the power of ever holding such office again.” “ What would you have me do?” asked the king, feebly. ‘“‘T would have you restore to them all,”’ “T cannot; you know it. I am powerless.” Lawless smiled. “‘] know it,” he said, “and, therefore I tri- umph. Bat, I need more than this.” _ “Speak on,” returned the king, gazing moodily into the fire. “I will speak, Eight years ago one Thomas Lawless was hanged, and, when he was dead, his head was cut off and placed on London Bridge, That man was my father.” “Well,” said the king, uneasily, “he must have been guilty of some outrageous crime.” ‘‘The crime of being a good father. A noble of this court insulted his daughter, my sister ; my father thrashed him, and flung him like a dog to drown in the river. He was saved— saved to pollute this very palace with his pre- sence. In course of time he told you that my father was a conspiring traitor. You disbelieved it. He then threatened to retire to the north and join the disaffected. You then yielded, and sacrificed my father's life for your own safety.” Charles Stuart trembled. Then he sprang up. “What want you?” he cried. here to murder me in secret ?” Simon smiled, ‘““No, no,” he said; ‘your deata will take place in the light of day. England and all the nations of the world shall know of it. No, ‘‘ Are you sent THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, Charles Stuart, I am not here an assassin ; I come to ask you to restore to me the keys of my father’s house near the Strand, and to tell me also whither Rose Lauderdale has fied.”’ “Rose Lauderdale,” returned the king, solemnly, ‘has fled whither you cannot follow her. She is dead.” For an instant the face of Simon Lawless was convulsed with emotion. “Dead, alas!" he murmured, “Her heart, then, poor girl, was broken,” Then he turned again to Charles, ‘‘ And now, King Charles, what, for all these things, do you expect from Heaven or from England ?”’ The king heard his words, and became ghastly ale. But it was not because of what Simon ad uttered. It was because at the moment of the utter- ance the terrible vision had once more appeared —THE AXE, THE BLOCK, AND THE HEADSMAN —as if to corroborate the words of the gloomy man who stood beside him, and spoke to him so solemnly of the past and future. “What see you?” said Lawless, pointing to the spot on which the king’s eyes were riveted. ‘Ts your fate written there ?”’ ‘‘] know not,” muttered the king, covering his face with his hands, and sinking back into his chair, “I know not, Ask me no more, but leave me,”” “No,” returned Lawless. “Where are the keys ?” “ The keys, aye, the keys, Bring me pen and ink, and I will] give you the order.” Simon walked to the door, and spoke to the guard without, In a few minutes the necessary materials were brought in, and the king wrote ont with a trembling hand the required order. “Here,” he said, handing it to Simon, “ here is an order to Lord Henry Littleton ; you know well his house, You remember, no doubt, the place where so terrific a vengeance was en- deavoured to be wreaked upon you?” “TI do.” “He lives in that house, and, on your de- manding them, will, no doubt, deliver up to you the keys, I know not how far my power now extenda, but, doubtless, I have yet enough of it left to carry through so simple a thing as this,” ‘“* No treachery, I trust, sire ?”’ “None ; you need fear none, leave me,” ‘To meet again, Farewell.” With these words, spoken solemnly, Simon Lawless turned away, and in a few moments the king was again alone, ‘How I dread that man,” muttered Charles Stuart, as he gazed again at the faces in the fire. “If ever I die that man will be my execu- tioner,” Take it and CHAPTER XII, THE MASKED LADY—THE FAIRY FOOTSTEPS— THE EMERALD RING—THE FLIGRT—THE MYSTERY — NELLY DYSER IN DANGER — QUELF'S NEW PLOT OF EVIL. ON quitting the palace Simon Lawless proceeded at a rapid pace along the road towards the city of London, 7 Q ‘ -B evo, a ~ GOVE OOO