The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

a ¢ Oe c 74 On the one hand, however, an existence whose freedom was part of ita danger—which brought no respect, which made him an outcast and an outlaw. On the other hand, an apprenticeship which was in itself honourable—which brought respect with it, and which was now opening up to him unknown paths of glory. Indulging in such reveries as these he reached the ‘‘ Leathern Bottle.” There was evidently already a goodly as- semblage. The lights from the large room shone brightly over the water. The bum of voices, too, was plainly dis- tinguishable. Innocent entirely cf all knowledge of the exact buainess before the mecting, Harold moored his boat, sprang lightly up the steps, and entered the room with a smiling face. A buzz of greeting welcomed him. The room was already full, Peter Quelf, a sub-lieutenant, sat by the side of the captain at a table at the further end of the room. The apprentices had of late adopted so far the military titles, There was a captain, a lieutenant, and six sub-lieutenants, The present captain was Max Bowden, whose turn it was to retire. “He is come,” said Max, “ Close the doors, and let us proceed at once to business.” Then he turned to Harold and beckoned him to approach the table. As he did 20 Quelf grinned horribly. Yhat could all this mean ? Harold's heart sank, A member was that night to be excluded from their honourable body. Was he the one? It seemed, indeed, suspicions, for they had awaited his coming, and now that he had arrived the door had been closed and he had been beckoned up to the table, His mind was soon set at rest on thia paint. Max rose to speak, “We have to-night,” he said, “a very un- pleasant duty to perform—the exclusion of a member from our society. I, as captain, have received the name of this member ; but before I call on Richard Langbam to state hig reasons for this person's expulsion, I will myself tell you that e is accused of treachery, o assasaination, of having leagued himself with false men, and committed numberlegs crimes.” All this time Peter Quelf eyed Herold with a glare of malignant triumph. He evidently was eagerly awaiting the an- nouncement of Harold’s name, “And now,” continued the captain, “I will tell you that the name of the person whom Richard Langham, blackamith’s apprentice, will call upon you to exclude fa—PeterQuelf,{a sub- lieutenant!” To say that the dwarf uttered a cry would in no way describe the yell that escaped his lips. He sprang from his chair like a wild beast and uttered the most frightful maledictions. “Have a care,” said the captain, sternly, “have a care, or you will be gagged and bound while the proceedings go on.” THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, Seeing two tall, stout apprentices approach to put this threat into execution, Quelf sat down. His rage was something terrible to see. His eyeballs rolled, and his lips foamed. He looked, as may be supposed, more hideously ugly than ever. | “Now,” continued the captaia, “I call upon you, Richard Langham, to prove your atate- ments,” - Langham rose as the captain sat down, and briefly told his story. He spoke of treacherous conversations he had overheard ; of secret meetings between Quelf and some of the apprentices then present, in which robberies were planned and. undertaken ; of a vast scheme which Quelf bad spoken of for de- stroying the present society and establishing another upon far different principles—those of robbery and treachery. He then called upon Harold Fordyce to tell what he knew. Harold had not anticipated this. Bat he did not hesitate. In the case of any other apprentice he might have done so; but for Peter Quelf he had no pity. So he rose at once. His story was simple, but terribly to the pur- se. He told of the scene in the subterranean vanit, of Peter Quelf’s election as public assassin, of his disgraceful conduct in regard to Ettie, of hia ejection from the house and service of the armourer. Nothing more was said. When called on for his defence, Quelf shook his head and clutched his knife. The captain rose. “Tt is proposed that Peter Quelf shall be ejected from this society,” he began, “apd never more be capable of enjoying any of ita privileges. He will lose thereby its protection; he will not be permitted to speak or have any com- munion with any one of our body, but be an out- cast forever. Those who vote for this will place the word ‘ yea’ in the ballot box.” ane apprentices in another moment were busy with their pencils, Then, when all were ready, they began follow- ing one another in Indian file, and placing their papers as they passed by in a large iron urn which stood on the table in front of the captain. It was some time before all had voted. While they did so Peter Quelf saat with his arms folded, eyeing them curiously. Jf he imagined he could read his fate in their ces he was wrong. Their features remained perfectly impas- gable. At length all was over; and the captain, after calling for silence, began reading the votes. “ Yea, yes, yes, yes,” they went, with now and then a “no” interspersed. But the result was soon told. For his ejection, 95 ; against, 10. “By a majority of 85, Peter Quelf is ex- cluded from the society Peter Quelf rose. His eyes glistened with rage. “ Wretched fools !” he cried; “ you do not know what you have done for yourselves by excluding me, You have armed alion against you, Ex- pel me as you may—work against me as you GOVE OOO <S) CO oy