The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, — head and face, and the alabaster-looking neck, and all the dancing curls that reposed upon it. It was but for a moment that such a vision of beauty bewildered him, and then all was over. The hat was replaced, and the cloak was drawn close, and the young girl was gone with speed through the narrow passage, leading to what is now called Spring Gardena. The young gentleman walked, with a dreamy look, back to about the oentre of the grand promenade, and flinging himself upon a seat, gave himaelf up to reflection. ‘She is decidedly the prettiest creature that ever I saw,” he murmured. ‘“ Why, she can't be above fifteen or sixteen, at the outside; and such eyes, such a form, such a face !”’ Meanwhile the young girl hurried towards her home. The reader would have guessed that her name was Mercy Marner, Little did she imagine thatthe man to whom sha had been speaking was Prince Charlese—the exiled prince, the son of the justly executed Oharles L, The prince, although engaged in one of the most tremendous political struggles that ever convulsed England, was, like the Prince Regent, unable to resist the charms of the fair sex, and if a pair of bright eyes beamed upon him he was quite unfitted for any useful purpose. Instead, therefore, of thinking of the means whereby he could best reinstate himself in the position which had been lost to him by his father’s treachery, he thought of nothing else but the bright eyes and fairy form of the girl who had suddenly come upon him in the park. Princes have always a number of persons willing to perform their wishes, no matter how disgraceful they naay be. . Bonnie Prince Caarley was no exception to the rule. In the palace of Sé. James, whieh was now of. course used ag the dwelling place of republican officera, there weze two men, named Colonel Bertram and Sir Robert Fancourt, who, under the disguive of friends to the commonwealth, were in reality partizans of the late king. These men were easily persnaded to allow the daring young prince to take np his abode in the palace, and to receive the visita of thebeau- tiful young girl. Fortunately for him, but unfortunately for her, she was compelled, a few nights after the meet- ing in the park, to visit Sir Robert Fancourt on business for her uncle, The night at length arrived, and set in with squally fierceness., For the whole day the sun had been obscured by clouds, and although it was not until the evening actually arrived that any rain had fallen, yet 1t had threatened so to do numberless times, and the scud of heavy clouds had been couraing through the air at a terrific rate. _ The wind, though, about sunset, when a dash- ing rain began to.fall, had sensibly moderated, and it was only now and then that it whistled about the old towers and chimneys. The two dissolute and unscrupulous men to whom the prince had given an account of hia adventures, were quite y to play their in the comedy, as they supposed it to be, Lich was about to take place, e The ruin of @ youvg girl who confided in the truth and honesty of one who affected to love her, was to them quite a common-place affair, and without a thought, or, at all events, without a regret for the evil they might be about to do, they joined heart and hand in the infamous plan for the destruction of the prince's faiz incognita. If we were to say that the prince himself had no terrors upon the subject, we should, perbape, be, at his then age, giving him the discredit of a greater degree of familiarity with vice than he really ; The career of dissipation which he fell into, in consequence of evil counsellors surrounding him, and pandering to his very worst passions, could scarcely be said to have fairly begun at the period of our story, and it is certain that during the day he had several misgivings with regard to the course he had agreed to pursue In the affair. By appointment, he met the colonel and Sir Robert in his own apartments about one hour before the time appointed for the arrival of the young girl, and whatever might have been his own qualms of conscience, they were s00n smothered by the reckless matter-of-course kind of way in which those two dissolute men apoke of the affair, In fact, as is ever the case with a young mind that is thrown into vicious company, there was a lack of snfficient, courage to asser€ better prin- ciples than were enunciated by that company. ‘© Well, prince,” said the colonel, who always affected much more familiarity with the priuce when there was something to do for him, than under ordinary circumstances, ‘“ well, prince, you are a lucky fellow, upon my life,” . ‘¢ Think you so?” ‘Think so? Oh! Iam sure ofit, Is he not now, Sir Robert?” ‘“‘ De-ci-ded-ly,” said Sir Robert, “ Well, then, I auppose Iam,” said the prince. “You are,” added the colonel, ‘‘ in more ways a one; but are all the domeaties got rid O ’ éé All,’’ “ Good; and we three alone then now occupy the apits of apartments devoted to your high- ness!’ ‘‘ Preciagely so; and, indeed, I have led most persons to believe that I am in London by this time, so that even if any inquiry should be made for me it will end in that supposition.” “ Good again ; and the fair one isa to come at the hour of midnight, is it not so?” “ Well, then, I act the parson, and Sir Robert here acta the clerk, Who is tobe the sole wit- ness of the royal marriage ? By Jove! I should like to change places with your royal highness, for, from the transient glimpse that I have had of the girl, she is positively bewitching.” The prince was about to make some reply, but such a gust of wind, accompanied by such a dash of rain, at that moment came against the window in which they sat, that they all sprang to their feet, with the full expectation that the casement was about to be blown in upon them at that moment. ‘‘What a night!’ said the prince. “Surely she will not come? What think you, gentle- - 7 Con A roxXo) <S) i—— i (ae > aa f i -. r ¥ 1 fh. 9 Fd - A ee 4 - 4 on in CO rd