The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTICE. The new-comers were a long time in ascend- ing. they had evidently a burden to carry. Slowly they came—tramp—tramp up the stairs, It seemed—so long were they, or so long did it scem to Harold's mind—as if the old legend was about te be verified, and the armed cavalier —the ghostly, invisible horseman, was about to make his appearance, with a number of spirits like himself. Voices were now heard, and the new-comers entered the large room beneath, ‘* Good,” thought Harold. “I can see all now.” He crept to the round hole in the ceiling, after covering over his lantern. | At present all was dark below. Then a voice spoke authoritatively. Harold knew it well. It was that of Lord Raymond. “Let us have the lantern; quick !” he said. “The man will die ere we question him.” As if in corroboration of his words there followed a loud groan. “ Quiek ; he is dying,” said another. In a moment several lights flashed forth, Then Harold could see the faces of Lord Ray- mond and several cavaliers, who were atanding around a man, whose pale, and blood-stained features showed that he had fallen in some desperate fray. Raymond knelt by his side, “Wan,” he said, “now, in the hour of death, when none can save you, tell me where you left my Lord Clement Villiers ?” The man smiled—a painful, terrible was to see, “You say I am dying,” he answered, | 64 Yea,” , ** And that there is no chance of my recovery.” ““None. Your wound is past the skill of the leech,” said Raymond, with affected solemnity. ‘ “Tam giad that you speak frankly, my lord,”’ returned the dying soldier, in a faint voice, “because, if I had a lingering idea of treachery in my mind towards those who have been kind aad good to me, your words have relieved me of all fear of acting as a traitor.” ‘* How so?” . “Because now, knowing that death is so near, I will die in peace, Torture me as you will, you can but shorten my existence, I re- fuse now and for ever to disclose to you the place where I last saw Lad ville and Lord Clement Villiers. Why should I betray my masterf Because your villains have taken my life ?” Lord Raymond uttered a loud curse. **Do you know that I can have you torn limb from limb ?” he shouted. The man amiled again; and Harold could see the face of the brave man as Lord Raymond threw the light on it to observe the influence of his words, It was Ben Firebrace ! Oh, how his heart beat ! What could he do? Alone against twelve men, he was powerless to aid his friend. He awaited the answer eagerly. “You have told me that I am dying,” replied Ben. “What more can you do than take my amile it Blanche Marche- life which is ebbing away so fast now? I defy you—you who robbed me of my mistress, and, for ought I know, have basely murdered her ! I defy you—here, to your teeth, I defy you! Ben Firebrace can die; but he can die happy, he is no traitor !”’ “ Then, you refuse ?”’ “T do!” returned Ben, boldly. Lord Raymond spurned him with his foot, while a distorted smile played over his features. Tt was hardly a smile. It waa like the grin of a wild beast. “Die then !” he said. ‘“ Die, and lie there to rot, for not even a burial in the river shall be yours, Let your friends seek you high and low, and if they find you at last, your whitened bones, cleaned by the river-rats, will be all left for them to mourn over.” Then he turned to one of his friends. ‘ Tear down a piece of the ragged tapestry, and fiing it over him,” he cried. see the brute’s dying agonies.” - - One of the cavaliers drew his sword, and ripped a large piece of the cloth off, shaking out the dust of years as he did so, and frightening bats from their long home, This he threw over Ben Firebrace, so as to entirely cover his body and face. ‘‘ Now,” said Lord Raymond, “let us speak of other things. This fellow will soon be out of the way of harming us by treachery, and in another hour I expect the arrival of our greatest enemy. “What Lord——"” began one of the cavaliers. Lord Raymond raised his hand. His eye was stern, and his manner haughty and overbearin “THE MAN solemnly. A visible sensation passed through the assem- blage, and each man looked at his neighbour, It was as they did this that Harold saw that one of the throng was Leicester, the pretended apprentice. . he cavalier now began to speak in low tones, so that Harold Fordyce could understand no- thing of what they said. Only disjointed words came to bis ear. He could hear, however, that they were speak- ing of the king, of midnight attacks, of victims. in the streeta, of Quelf and the armourer. “ Here, then, is confirmation of my fears,” he said to himself. “My master is leagued with these men.” Lord Raymond seemed the head of all, and, after conversing impressively with all, he said, in a voice which Harold could hear well, “ My friends, there is but one thing to be done to save our necks. If the Queen Henrietta Maria does pot bring sufficient troops and money from Holland the king is lost. If the kin loses we fall also. We must bide our time, an if she arrives empty-handed we must transfer our arms and our money to Cromwell.” As he spoke these villanous words a loud and discordant laugh rang through the chamber. All started in the direction whence it came, A wrruour A NAME!” he said, and there, standing without the open window, _ was the blood-stained form of Ben Firebrace, sword in hand, “Great Heavens!" cried Raymond. “At him —at him! If he escapes now we are lost !” “Let us not. EDOO CO