The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

Listen, however. I am a friend to King were. Charles. You and your friends are banded to- er to suave him. Doso, and I shall be glad. would aid you if I could. Therefore, you may be quite sure I should not detain you foolishly. Let me entreat you, however, to follow me for awhile, for I have something to tell you of im- portance.’ ‘‘ The ailly fellow yielded. “ Fioretta is a very handsome girl, as no doubt you observed, and the dranken fellow was not proof her temptations, ‘Following her, accordingly, with a drunken kind of resolution in his mind that he would not stay long, he was led into an inn, where the girl sent for some wine. “The wine was dragged. “The girl knew her book, and set on by others, she kept talking earnestly to him, telling him of things which in reality never existed ; telling him were it was possible for him to obtain additional friends; explaining to him imaginary conversations in regard to this morning’s tragedy, until the foolish fellow sank to sleep in his chair, and lost, in fact, all con- eas. “There he is now, robbed ‘of all his gold, most probably still asleep, or, if awake, cursing his own folly,’” Blacklock mused a moment. He was—ruffian, dissipated villain though he might be—deeply struck by the events of that night and morning. Fate seemed to Rave led him on. : Destiny appea to have taken him the hand. 7 7 Why had he entered that den of infamy ? Why had he yielded to Dennis’s entreaties ? END OF THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, Why had he given him money that he might” indulge himpelf in drink, when every faculty ought to have been clear ! It seemed, truly, as if there had been a pre- concerted plan, where there had, indeed, been none, The king was fated to die, and there was, apparently, not a shadow of a chance for any one who pretended to stay the catastrophe. “ Well, well,” said Blacklock, ‘‘I alone am to blame.” “Say, rather, that Providence saved you from a t sin,” ‘ How so!” “Had Charles been saved through you, the whole of England would have been deluged in blood once more.” “So you think.” “TI know it; the people are determined upon a change. There is a spirit of Republicanism abroad which nothing can stop. Rings are, for the present at least, a past thing. Those who, like you, have attempted at the peril of your life to save Charles Stuart may be rf for your zeal and your courage, but you may be ridiculed for your folly. Depend upon it you have done the best thing by failing.’’ Blacklock looked up at the speaker in wonder. “ And pray,” he said, “who are you who thus 8 to me.” “1?” said the other. “I am a man whom none know much evil of, and whose name is known to none. 1 am, in fact, the MAN WITH- ovuT.A NAME!” And upon this evening tho sun went down upon the first day of freedom in England. BOOK III. GOVE OO ©