The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

. He whistled slightly. The answer came quickly, It came in the shape of a stone, with a string attached. Ben began hauling in quickly. It took no long time, as may be imagined, to haul up the atying. To the other end waa attached a rope. This was soon attactied to the head of the bed post, and Ben Firebrace prepared to help Alicia to descend. In his strong arms the lithe form was easily raised, and they were soon descending towards the gardens, Below, as they descendad, they could see the 8 of Lizsie Woodhead, who was watching eagerly for them. In afew momenta Alicia had reached terra firma, and they were preparing to guit the grounds. Bat their escape was not yet to be. y had they advanced more than gs few steps, when Ben Firebrace received suddenly a heavy blow from behind, and staggered forward. He had no time to recover himself. There was a rush of feet. Heavy blows fell upon him, and when he re- covered a little of his senses he found himself bound, bleeding, and helpless, _ The two girls had disappeared. A bitter rage was within hia heart. He had never thus been overthrown before, Carses loud and strong fell from his lips as they raised him, and he could see six armed men had surrounded him, and were bearing him towards the basement of the house, Arrived at a large doorway, they threw it open, and conveyed him along a dark and gloomy passage, to a staircase, which led to a subterranean vault, Into this he was unceremoniouely thrust, and without a single word of explanation or comfort, was left to the mercy of the rata sad vermin that might infest the place. It was useless to ask questions, He could get no answer. Loud jeering laughter was all the replies he could obtain ! QE CHAPTER VI. THE SECOND TRAP—THE RETURN TO CON- BSCIOUSNESS ——- TI1E GOLDEN pDEHAUGHT — EFFORTS OF MEMORY. WHILE we leave Ben Firebrace woe must return to Alicia and Lizzie. ; The latter waa at ence hurried back to the house she had left, while the formez, in a faint- ing state, was carried by one of the ruffians to a small thatched cottage which stood at no very great distance from Lord Loveine’s house. This cottage was occapied by ene of his creatures, She was & woman of even worse character than the other. She hesitated not at all, Before Alicia could open her eyes, she poured down her throat a few drops of sleeping potion, and laughed as she did so, and tarned to the man who had brought hey. “There's no fear of her waking for hours,” she said, THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. “No there ain't,” said the man ; “bunt she'll have to wake if Lord Lovaine comes here, He's not one to let maidens aleep long. Good luck to him, he’s a lucky card.” The woman shook her head. | “Ah! lucky you may think him,” she oried, “because you look at this lovely creature and envy him,” | a “So I do,” said the map. — | “Then you are wrong,” returned she, “ vary, very wrong, These games might well be car- ried on with impunity when the king was alive, and when the power of the nobles wag respected, but not now, not now.” ‘“ And why not {” | © Because the people begin to see how little there is really to respect in their ranks to be convinced of the emptiness of titles, Once they - might laugh gaily at a libertine love, now they might chance to hang him up to the nearcat tree. However, yon and I baye nought te complain of. Good night, and to-morrow, if you see Lovaine, tell him I have his dainty morsel well “The aon th ted the cottage, and left he men then guit © co e the once more unconscious bride in the hands of Mra. Broadhurst. — The narcotic that she had given te Alicia had certainly been something of an overdose, if we may judge from the length of time that it kept her senses in a state of complete oblivion. Indeed, it was not until the day had quite advanced, that the young girl began to show some signs of returning consciousness. _ The woman who had charge of that cottage of Lord Lovaine had just began to bea little — alarmed at the protracted indisposition of the young creature, when Alicia, with asigh, opened her eyes and looked langnidly about her, The apartment in which she was, certainly was one that might well create both surprise and admiration upon the part of Alicia; but she had not sufficiently recovered her faculties, to be able to have the least idea of where she was, or what train of circumstances had been instru- mental in bringing ber there. _ The chamber in which Alicia found herself was about twenty feet square, | he ceiling was stained, and the walls were hung with crimson satin drapery, looped up here and there with great skill and judgment, as re- garded offect, by bullion cords, to which de- acended massive tassels of the same handsome material. | ; The window looked into a balcony, which was crowded with rare and beautiful plants, forming 8 complete screen for the room. The bed upon which Alicia lay was a model of elegance, and the draperies surrounding it being of white satin, covered with lace, formed a striking and agreeable contrast to the drapery of the rest of the room. The many articles of costly furniture with which the apartment was furnished were white and go)d for the most part, and, in fact, the room, considered as a whole, or in detail, presented such a picture of luxury and refinement that it was quite a sight to see it. Yet it was some time before poor Alicia could even be said to be aware ofall the elegance and refinement by which she was surrounded, and it was only gradually, as it were, that abe could make up her mind at all that she was not under -z S ( oe - | ~ “a. wo ; ae GOhVCIOO OKSECO