The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. 15 Here, again, a second mass of combustible materials was piled and again lit. But now the defenders had more chance of resistance. There was no wall to protect the besiegers, and several of their number fell wounded before the huge door yielded. When at length it did yield, they saw within a goodly array of servants, and on one side the young apprentice. One of the officers started back as his eyes fell upon him. Then, as he rushed forward with the rest, Harold saw who it was. He knew at once the wild eyes—the genial face—the noble look—the iron-gray hair—the tall form. It was his benefactor—the founder of his for- tunes—the man he had saved in the old house by the river | He advanced towards Harold, “ What do you here?” he cried, disregarding the tide of battle round him. “ What right have you to do battle against my friends? Why are you not with Leslie the armourer ?” , Hurriedly, Harold stammered out an explana- on. Go, tell Alicia Leslie, then,” said the other, when he had finished speaking, “go tell her that the troopers of the Parliament have possession of Master Laurence and his house ; that his trea- cherous papers are in our hands; and that ere long it will be her turn to fly from England.” “And who,” said the boy, “am I to say sent this message ?”” “The man without a name!” returned the other. “Qo find your horse, and and do my bidding, if gratitude is within your heart.” Disengaging himself as well as he could from the tangled mass of combatants, fighting amid the flames and smoke of the now burning house, Harold Fordyce at length made his way to the stabte, and, finding his horse, vaulted on his back and made his way out of the courtyard, and dashed away down the high road. There was a blind spirit of obedience in him towards this man, who had raised him from the scum of the river to an honest and respectable position in society, Just as he reached the neighbourhood which would now be called St. John’s Wood, he met a horseman, whe was dashing along at a terrific speed, followed by two other men. In the light of the early morning he could see his face, It was that of the villain from whom he had saved his mysterious friend. The recognition was mutual, For an instant he reined in his horse, and drew a pistol from his belt. Then, as if recollecting himself, he uttered a loud curse, spurred his horse, and dashed away at full speed, With a heart full to overflowing, and a mind replete with strange surmises, Harold dashed away towards London. At eight o’clock the daughter of the armourer received him, having only just returned from a visit to a Royalist leader. She listened eagerly to his recital. Many times the flush came and went upon her cheeks, and her hands clenched, and her feet tapped nervously on the floor. But when he had finished speaking, she said quickly, ‘“ He was your benefactor, you have acted rightly ; I like you the better for it. Go now, you have my purse ; keep it. I shall send for you soon again.” So saying, she waved him imperiously from her, as if anxious to be aldne with her own angry thoughts, and he could say no more, CHAPTER VIL A DOUBLE MYSTERY. It was some nights after this that (having been sent by Ettie Leslie with a message) he found himself locked out, Master Leslie always retired at nine, and it was now waxing so late, that Harold resolved to curl himself up on a slab of stone opposite, and sleep as he had done, again and again in former times, beneath the arches of the bridges, rather than run the risk of incurring bis mas- ter’s anger. To Master Leslie’s house in the Strand was attached a high wall with recesses, in which stood several old half-patched statues. On this night, as Harold stood close by one of those figures, and was gazing up towards the windows of the house, which looked into the court which was enclosed by a wall, he discovered a light in the armourer’s room. It was midnight, and Master Leslie never used to be awake at that hoar ; indeed he was always accustomed to go to bed at nine. His heart beat with anxious expectation. He thought that accident might probably open a path to his entering the house. But while he yet looked the light disappeared ; he pressed himself close to the statue which was placed in one of the recesses, but was soon glad to scramble back not a little terrified, when he felt an opposing pressure ; in fact, when he felt the figure become as if alive. By the glimmering light of a starry night he observed that the statue moved slowly round, and from behind it there slipped out a dark figure, who crossed the street with a light step. He sprang towards the statue, but it stood, as at first, quite close to the wall. Unconsciously, or rather like one impelled by some inward power, he fol.owed with cautious steps the strange figure. When near to a picture of the Virgin the figure turned round, and the full light ofa bright lamp which burned before the representation of the Holy Mother, having illuminated the counte- nance of the mysterious being, discovered to his astonished eyes Master Leslie. An inexpressible anxiety, an unaccountable tremor took possession of him, and as if bound by some magic spell, he felt obliged to move on towards the ghost-like wanderer. Master Leslie, however, disappeared beneath the gateway of a house, “What does this betoken?—what would he do?” thought Harold, and while thus questioning himself, full of astonishment, and pressing close to the house lest he should be seen, & man, sporting the gayest feathers and most glittering spurs, approached whistling and singing. GQ ( ( aD [NANA Moro! KS,COM