The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. @ tS id - 43 The giant’s genial face was all innocence and good-will towards every one. ‘No, sir,’ he said, “I was detained because my benefactor was attacked here in your street, at your door, by an assassin, and I was bound to remain and aid him.” “An assassin! Your benefactor attacked ! Why did you not call me?” exclaimed Leslie, excitedly, “The assassin was your counterpart, the _ exact portrait of yourself,” said Harold, boldly, though the words seemed to choke him as they came. -The armourcr heaved a heavy sigh, and placed his broad hand upon the shoulder of the Young Apprentice. “Harold,” he said, with a voice full of emotion, “ Harold, I have told you again and again that this mystery is one which I cannot reveal to you at present. Therefore I must be content to allow you to regard me as you do now, unless, indeed, your good sense and pene- tration enable you to see that I am xot guilty. But come, tell me, was the person satisfied with the armour ?” “He was, sir; or rather, she, It was a masked lady who met me in the drawing-room. It was she who saw the mail and approved of it, and said you would be handsomely re- warded.” et lady, eh? Could you not tell who she was 93 “No, indeed; sho was too closely masked. I fancied truly I had heard the voice before, but I cannot be certain whero. However, whoever she was, she was satisfied,” ‘That is well. Come, Harold, and have some supper. We are late, but we have had no even- ing meal yet.” . Harold, without further remark, followed his master. Nothing of consequence transpired at the supper table, The only thing which Harold noticed was that Alicia Leslie sas there. Who, then, WAS THE MASKED LADY? CHAPTER XII. THE RIVER BOYS, On the second night after the interview with the masked lady, Harold Fordyce did not forget his appointment with the river boys. Having asked his master’s permiasion, he sallied forth about nine o’clock and sauntered down to the river's side. Down by the stairs, near the armourer’s house, there was a beat moored, the same in which he had rowed to Savile House on the evening of Simon Lawless’ conviction. Into this he step and was rowing away merrily with the tide along the moonlit river. He had not very far to go, The margins of the river were far covered then to what they are now. No huge factories; no high chimneys; no walled prisons obscured the view of the silent meadow-land, except in the immediate heart of the city. differently - the ancient, time-blackened edifice, which ap- XO) Here and there, beyond the real precincta of London, after you passed long dreary tracts of land, you came upon dark old houses tottering over the rushing stream, like things spent with age, ° It was towards one of these that Harold the apprentice was hurrying, He rowed lustily. He was a river boy again—again burst forth from his lips the words of the old, old song :— Cheerily, cheerily, on we go O’er the breast of the darkling water; Merrily, merrily, over the flow, To the home of the waterman’s daughter, Bright are her eyes, whose deep blue gleams O’er my path wherever I roam, No matter what beauties of Court I see There is no place in the world for me Like the spot that my love calla her home. The river's dark waters flow off at each tide, To mix with the broad rolling ocean ; But, true to its source, it returneth again To the shrine of its early devotion. So we, sweet unknown, recollect with a sigh The days of our love's dearest joy; Beautiful one, there’s no heart you must own Like the heart of yourown River Boy. ~ The old song seemed to revive Harold’s apirits —the old, rude song which he had so often carolled forth, when, in days gone by, he had floated over the dusky bosom of the Thames, knowing not what the morrow might bring forth ; understanding little of the past which had, as it were, cast him forth to seek his breaj, unaided, amid its troubled waters. He was startled enough when he heard from the opposite bank a voice singing out right cheerily, ‘ Like the heart of your own River Boy.” And then adding, “Ha, Harold; isthat you? I know it is, for you were always one of our merriest.”’ Harold stopped rowing, ‘Who is that ?” he cried, ‘Is that you, Mob Allen ?” “Yes; here’s Rupert Changeling, too. Pull ashore.” ‘“ But we are far yet from the river vault,” said Harold. ‘‘ Yes, yes,” returned the boy; “‘ we've got a better place now. Come ashore, and we'll show you.” The Young Apprentice at once turned the head of his boat ashore, and in a very few minutes he had joined his old companions. “Pray,” asked he, “where is this new place of meeting ?”’ “A glorious one,” said Rupert Changeling. ‘See over there, half-a-milc distant, That dark building ; it was the hunting-box of my Lord Cliveden, who was executed two years since, We've had it all to ourselves since then. Come on; there’s good cheer within, Z can tell you, and now you are among us again, my Lord Apprentice, we don’t intend to let you go with- out a right good reception.” It was not long before they were cloze upon peared to be entirely abandoned. Eo, y “ o COME INKS CO