The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

\ ? € ,. Si ? 4 LQOES - Ys «60 THE YOUNG APPRENTICE. ‘Yes, yes,” said Mercy ; “ you are a friend ft” %* Tam; number ten.” ‘Right ; you are to take this pass, and when in the garden, you are to wrap up a bullet in it and’ 3° cast it over the wall to me, are you not ‘“T am, after pacing fifty steps westward from the gate.” ‘‘ Yer, yes,”’ ‘‘ Give me the pass.” Mercy handed to this man the written pass that the colonel had left at the house in East- cheap, and in a moment he disappeared in the gloom with it. The young girl watched the gate where the two sentinels were, and by the light of the lamp that was close to it, she saw in a few moments that a third figure was upon the spot. ‘‘ Who comes here ?” cried one of the soldiers. ‘‘ A friend,” said a voice. Mercy knew that voice to belong to the man of her own party, to whom she had only just handed the colonel’s written pasa, and she felt she had no time to lose. She just paused long enough to see that the gate was opened, and after a brief parley he was admitted, and then she ran along the pro- menade, allel with the garden wall in a westerly direction, but fearful of going too far —that is to say, beyond the fifty paces—she soon paused irresolutely and listened. ‘*T ought to have measured the by my footsteps,” she said to herself. “If I should miss seeing the pass, as it is thrown over to me in the darkness, all will be lost,” - With the idea that it would more conduce to her succees if she got close to the wall, Mercy did so, and hardly had she been there a mo- ment, when some one in a very marked manner +“ Hist 1° " Yes,” said Mercy, Another momentsomething struck her shoulder and then fell at her feet. ‘¢ It is the pass,” said Mercy. ‘ Caution,” said a voice, but whether it came from any one hidden in the gloom, surrounding some of the old elms of the park, or from the man in the n, Mercy could not say. It was cient, however, to warn her that ghe had been speaking too loud, so it had its afrect, and, at all events, she knew that it came from her friends, After a few moments’ anxious search on the groung at her feet, she found the bullet, with e order of admittance to the palace rolled round it. a6 , sate,” she said. “I have now but to The palace clock struck twelve. This was the hour at which Mercy should have reached the apartments of the prince; but she did nat h herself upon hearing the sound, for she felt that ladies had then, as they have now and ever have had, the privilege of being a little late for all appointments whatever. The distance, however, to the palace-yard was now but short, so turning completely round, Mercy made her way to another entrance of the park, which was contiguous to the queen's court of the palace, The sentinel at the entrance challenged her, = NOTICE.—ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL COLOURED PICTURE WAS GIVEN AWAY WITH NO. 38. Others will follow ina few weeks. but that was all, as, for all he knew, she might be going out into the street. But when she, after passing his post, turned to the left to make her way into the palace-yard, another sentinel at once cried, 66 Stand 1"? “TI have an order,” said Mercy. ‘‘ Guard !” said the sentinel. In avswer to the call a couple of yeomen of the guard came out into the courtyard, accom- panied by an officer of the foot guards. A sergeant a red too with a lantern. “ What is it?” said the officer. Mercy did not say a word ; but looking calmly up to him, she placed the order in his hand, ‘‘ The lantern here, sergeant,” he said, The sergeant brought the lantern. And by its light the colonel’s pass was readily enough seen to be correct. ‘ All’s right |” said the officer. ‘“ You will show the lady to the colonel's apartments.” No,” said Mercy, “ point out to me the route, and I will go alone.” ‘ As you please, madam. That low, arched door in yon corner will conduct you right.” “ T thank you, sir. Give me back the pass,” ‘ You require this returned ?” ‘¢ Certainly.”’ The officer handed it to her with a bow. And Mercy hastily thrusting it into the bosom of her apparel, crossed the courtyard to the little doorway that had been pointed out to her. She was watched by the officer, and the two yeomen of the guard, and they saw that when she was within abont aix paces of the little Gothic door, a figure emerged from it, and took her familiarly and rather tenderly by the hand, and led her at once through the doorway. The officer smiled. And the two yeomen smiled. And the sergeant pretended to cough to cover an inclination he had to laugh aloud. All those people did not entertain the slighteat doubt in their own minds respecting the errand that the young girl was upon. And yet they never were more completely mistaken in sll their lives concerning it. It was indeed the prince who emerged from the little Gothic doorway to welcome Mercy, and as he took her hand in his, he said, “ Charming girl, how can I sufficiently thank you for your kindne3s in coming here to-night?” “Do notthank me, I come to see the colonel.” “Yes; but I will—I must—I ought—it is so good and so kind of you.” “No, no.” ‘ You may say ‘no, no,’ but I feel that it is for all that, dear girl. Thisis theway. Come into the palace, and believe me that never a more welcome foot crossed its threshold.” Mercy allowed the prince to lead her up the small staircase to the corridor, and then, in a low, sweet voice, she said, “ Prinoe, do you remember ?”’ “‘ What—oh, what ?” “Your promise.” ‘¢To love you for ever and ever ?” ‘Yea, and to marry me.” ‘6Oh! yes, yes. Do you think I could by any possibility forget? I have taken pains that you should be convinced of my sincerity, for I have a clergyman in my own apartments,” eS MIQUE GOVE OOO COLT