The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 335: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, “Yes, yes, IT come, Now for some awful sight to blast mine aged eyes. I come, I come.” ‘¢ Oh, sir, be quiok, I think I am mad !” The old man entered the inner room, and there he saw Rupert holding the light above his head, and, in an attitude of surprise and alarm, glaring at a richly-dressed figure in a chair, which was huddled up in an attitude of the most profound sleep, if it were not death. ‘Behold !” cried Rupert, “‘ our Alicia is gone, and in her place, look at this man or this ap- ition. Ah, sir, what can all this mean? I ear me Iam mad. I did not think my brain would lose its tension quite so carly as this, Oh ! sir, tell me, is there a man upon that chair, or do I, with a double sense, see that which is as well as that which is not?” Sir Henry snatched the light from Rupert, and held it close to the slumbering Lord Leicester, and then be looked at Rupert with . wonder in every lineament of his ‘‘ Rupert, Rupert, we are both mad !” ‘Both mad! Ha! ha! both mad!" cried Rupert, wildly. “’Tis in the air, Sir Henry ; it is epidemic. Ha!:ha! Ob, dearest Alici where are you?” y ‘Hold !” said the old knight, as he passed his hands over his eyes, as if to clear his physical as well as mental vision, “Hold, Rupert! there is a cause for all things, and the matters which appear to be the most inexplicable to us are in many cases the easiest to understand, if we had but the key of the explanation. Be calm, I say, be calm,” “ Calm, sir; oh, no, no, I cdnnot, I must not. Alicia, Alicia, where are you hidden ?” With frantic violence the young man ran through the rooms, tossed the furniture about, and dashed aside the hangings, uutil he was satisfied that no Alicia was t : and then, drawing his sword from ita scabbard, he, with a wild cry, made a rush at the slumbering figure in the chair, exclaiming— “This villain—in the likeness of the man whom I thought I bad once killed, but whom I know must be a devil—has done me this great wrong, and so, for the second time, I'll try my sword against his heart.” ‘‘No,” cried Sir Henry, stepping between Rupert and Lord Leicester, and just turning the bright blade aside. “No, no; this must not be.” “ Sir, you do not know him.” “Ido; this is Lord Leicester,” “ Our foe ;s the enemy of Alicia,” “Granted; but he is here beneath my roof. He is helpless and defenceless. It would bea murder to kill him, and you, Rupert, are not the man to do so bad a deed,” The young man looked down, and dropped the end of his sword, as he said— _ “Bat by what devilish art is he here? What is the meaning of it all? Can you explain it to me, sir?” “I cannot; but we will arouse this court butterfly, and get the truth from him, or he shall answer to both of us for this night's work. Awake ! awake, sir! this is no place to play your juggling court mountebank tricks in. Wake, Lord Leicester, or rue the consequences.” Sir Henry shook Lord Leicester roughly, but the only sign of animation he got from him in reply were some half uttered ejaculations, and some deep groans, as if of pai “ This is unmannerly,” said Rupert. ‘I will soon shame him into rising from the chair. He thinks to escape my vengeance by this pretended sleep, but I will not be so easily foiled as he thinks, If he has the spirit of a mouse I will rouse him.,”’ With the flat portion of the sheath of his rapier Rupert now struck Lord Leicester several smart blows, saying— “Get up sir; get up and answer for your misdeeds, or must I get a horsewhip to arouse you to any sense of honour? Rouse yourself, ar What ! still sluggish ; take that, then, and at,” “Hold!” said Sir Henry; “itis enough. I am satisfied he cannot rise, and that he is under the influence of some powerful narcotic, I thought so from the firat. Look at his eyes, Rupert, and you will sce how fixed and sunken is their aspect. By some strange chance, which I cannot presume to understand just now, he is here, and is under the influence of some power- ful opiate that for a time has locked up all his senses in oblivion, and may lock them up for ever,” ‘‘ Tt is so, sir.” ‘‘ Be assured of it.” “But this does not help us to the fate of Alicia, sir.” ‘‘ It does not, alas !"’ ‘‘ Alas, indeed, I know not what to do or what to think! Oh! whatis to be done? I soarcely know. My old brain has never felt 80 thoroughly confused as it does to-night. I can think nothing but Alicia is gone ; but it is not with Lord Leicester! But where is she gono ? But where has she gone? How could she go? At that window ? It is possible !’’ Rupert sprang out upon the balcony, and then he saw the silken | that had been provided by Lord Leicester. He cried out to Sir Henry to come to him, and at once it seemed to them that they were cognisant of the mode by which Alicia had left the place. This, though, by no means helped them to ac- connt for the mysterious presence of Lord Lei- cester in the room. ‘I aball still go mad,” said Rupert, “ if I am not so already.” ‘ Young man,” said Sir Henry, ‘ be ruled by me, The first shock of this strange transac- tion has gone off from my mind, and I now act with something approaching to calmness in the matter. I pledge myself to you, and you muat o, as I have said before, to the old Manor ouse in Berkshire, and rest assured that I will find Alicia.” ‘¢ You will, sir?” “ T will.” “That ismuch. Oh, that is much! But what is to be done with this man, Sir Henry ?” “Let him atay till he shall recover from the state he isnowin, If I amany judge of such matters, this trance will last yet a long time, and when he awakens from it, be assured that he does not leave this place without a good account of how he came to it.” ‘‘ He shall give a good account, indeed, But COMTEDOO