The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

The window was open, toe. and from it, into the back yard, still dangled Heavy rope. ‘‘This is strange,” he said, at length. “Wake up the apprentices,” he added, turning to the lad who had accompanied Harold to Clive House. In a few minutes the boy returned. “ Master Quelf was in bed asleep, sir. Master Harold is not there, and his bed has not bee slept in.” _ The giant armourer started, and glanced with a puzzled air of alarm at Alicia, eS “ Harold gone, too!” he murmured. “ Wikat can this mean ? As he was speaking, Quelf had enter room, ‘Well, Quelf,” said the armourer, turning to him, “ what heard you of this disturbance ?” ‘“T heard nothing; but I knew that Harold was not only not at home, but did not mean to come home. He told me before he went out that be had a great enterprise on hand, and would, perhaps, never see me any more,” It is, perhaps, needless to say that Quelf's words were pure invention. But at this moment they took effect upon the armourer’s mind. | , ‘‘Can it be so?” he murmured. ‘Can it be that this boy would deceive me—tbis one whom [ trusted above all others? It seems so, truly ; but he shall pay for it dearly.. Meanwhile, I will go to the chief of the watch.” ; Within half an hour he had been and re- turned. : Gloom reigned in the house throughont that day, Al icia shut herself in her room, She—in the stillness of that night—had hear cries and struggles, but moved not. For some mysterious reason she did not seem to care to assist her sister, Yet, in this case, she pitied Harold. Believing him partly guilty of the outrage, she screened him by her silence. As yet, her heart was gratefal for the ser he had rendered her, for, since hia departure on her errand, she had, as we know, seen nothing of im, ; It was when thinking of this towards evening that the idea just struck her, and she hastened to inform her father of it, She found him in the workshop. He glanced up at her as she entered aa if she had been a bird of: ill-omen. It was she who had brought the evil news in the morning, and he expected her to bring more. . “Father,” she said, “I come to speak of Harold,” ° The armourer frowned, “Speak not of him,” he said, bringing his heavy hammer down upon a piece of iron with a fierce clang. “I wish not to think of Ettie or of Harold.” “Do not think him guilty until he is proved so,” said Alicia, “ Harold went last night with a message from me to a friend. It was a dan- fcrous mission on which he went; maybe he has fallen into some danger.”’ The armourer gladl y caught at this, “True, true,” he said, pausing a moment, and -THE YOUNG APPRENTICE. i — EL aE ARE = ——— a ee = leaning on his hammer; “ but, tell, where did go? I may be able to ascertain this.” "Alicia avoided his gaze. ‘‘The place to which he went I cannot men- tion,” she said; “bat, ere the day is much older, I shall know whether he is safe or not. At nine o’clock I expect a messenger.” ‘‘Good,” said the armourer, resuming work. “You have relieved my mind greatly for the moment ; let us hope that it will be for good.” Eagerly Alicia waited. Not for Harold's sake. All her heart was bound up in Leicester, whose terrible danger was blanching her cheek and harrowing her heart. At length her eager eyes, peering out of the front window, saw approaching, along. the Strand, the tall form of the gloomy-faced trooper whom she had called Gilbert. She sprang up at once, and hurried down to the street door. The trooper, when he approached her, looked round to see if he were watched, and then en- tered the passage. “ Well,” asked Alicia, eagerly, “did the lad bring my letter in safety ?” “ And escaped ?” “Yes, through my intervention he escapeil. Has he not returned ?” ‘‘ He has not been seen or Heard of since.” The trooper looked graver than before. ‘‘He was pursued, I am aware,” said he; “but I understood he had succeeded in elading them, and escaping,” ‘“ But where is Leicester? Is he safe? Has> he cscaped from the old house ?”’ ‘‘ He has, madam ; but he was set upon and badly used by some one.”’ ‘‘ Is he seriously injured ?” ‘“ He lies wounded, madam.” ‘And his enemies, who were they?” she asked, with a gleam of hate flashing from her eyes, Ni He knows not. He could not distinguish them. Thsy were masked, and never spoke once,”’ “*T must to him at once,” cried Alicia. ¢ Wait, and I will go with you. Is he far from this ?” ‘No, madam,” said the trooper, quietly ; “ but there is one thing you forget.” ‘¢What is that ?” | ‘Ten pieces of gold, well earned, I had to drug three men, and slay a fourth, ere I reached Leiceater’s dungeon and earned these pieces, and those I received last night.” Alicia shuddered, as the man spoke thus lightly of the destruction of human life ; but, g a delicate purse from her warm bosom, she counted out the money and gave it to him. The man placed them in a leathern pouch, with a grim smile, “You pay well and promptly, my lady; ha! be quick, for Iam watched,” cried the trooper, advancing to the window. At the same moment the report of a musket was heard, and a ball flew past his head, striking down a helmet hanging from the wall. “ Quick ! quick !| my lady,” said Gilbert, anatch- ing a pistol hastily from bis belt. Ss Cy (2) = NOTICE.—With this Number is Presented Gratis another SPLENDID PIOTUBE, printed in GQ \ PO — Seven Colors. e/a CONMIGO OKSHEO