The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

, THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. “To meet the membes of the Black Cross r. “Ah! have you then received a snmmons?” asked the giant, in surprise. “TJ have.” “And you are going ?” “T am,” The armourer took the youth's hand in his, ‘* You are a brave lad,” hesaid, ‘ If yon were my son.J should be proud of you ; as it ia, I hope you will one day have a name almost as dear.” Harold trembled with pleasurable emotion. He knew well that he spoke of his long- desired union with Ettie, when manhood snd riches were his. This, however, was no time for moralizing on auch thoughts as these. . “TI have been waiting some time,” he said, “over there in the dark archway, to see whether any of my old companions have also received the same invitations as we have, It is not yet the appointed time, is it ?” “Not within a ‘quarter of an hour of the time.” “Then I will watch still, I would be sworn that Dick Langham will be here, if no one clse 18,”" ‘¢ Good ; then I will enter alone. Do you re- main here, but not for long, You will hear the chimes presently and they will guide you.” Harold was once more alone. For a few minntes no one approached. Presently, however, the tramp of feet was heard, and Diek Langham appeared. | Again Harold ran across the narrow thorough- e. “Dick,” he said, ‘‘ have you then been sume moned ?”’ “Yes ; and eight more, Let us go in, we shall be well supported.” “T will go in willingly,” returned Harold. “ Come, J will knock at the door.” Three knocks brought a porter to the porta). ‘What want you ?”’ asked he. ‘‘ We are summoned.” ‘Good. Go up the stairs. You qill find yoar judges, Dick Langham started. ‘Our judges !’’ he said, turning to Harold. ‘ Hush! Fear not,’ whispered Harold; “ let us ascend at once.” They ascended accordingly. Harold, knowing the place well, led the way until, reaching the quaint old room, they found themselves in the presence of twelve men, or rather youths, who al] wore masks, “‘ Pass to the right,” said the ‘man who kept the door. On the right stood a figure whom Harold well knew, It was the giant armourer. One by one che other apprentices came in, and then, as soon as they were assembled, the doors were closed and the ings com- m ; The one who presided at this meeting was not seen until this moment. . The chair at the end of the room had been yacemt until now; but, as soon as the doors were shut, there emerged from behind the ragged tapestry a form they well knew—that of Peter Quelf, the dwarf, He was now in his element, He had always craved for supremacy, always eagerly desired the captaincy of some society or other. ‘‘Gentlemen,” he said, “we have succeeded in bringing here those who have been our worst and , bitterest foes. Jt is in your power to revenge yourselves upon them for the insults which some of your numbcr have received at their hands. I leave to you the kind of punish- ment which we shall inflict. Their trial need be but brief, for from what I have told you you know them to be guilty.” A loud murmur of approbation ran through the assembly, Quelf eyed his enemies triumphantly, He continued,— | ‘You have heard from me what these focs are, what they have done against us, how far we may fear them, and how they hold us in their clutches, in some respects. You have declared them to be guilty. What shall be their reward ?” ‘Death !” was the cry which came from many. A cry, hideous in its intensity, when it was remembered that those who uttered it were “mostly boys, and none of them properly arrived at man's estate, There was silence for a moment. Then Quelf made a signal to one of the masked associates. The boy bowed without speaking, and at once quitted the room. All waited in silence. Nota murmur arose even from the condemned. One of the latter, at least, was plotting deeply. In a few moments the tramp of feet was heard, and six men entered bearing muskets, These were quickly distributed amongst the judges, The other apprentices stood unarmed and helpless before them. At this moment, just as Peter Quelf was pre- paring to issue his commands, Harold stepped forward. Hold!” he cried, in as loud a voice as ho could assume, “hold! Ihave a word to say.” Quelf grinned hideously. ‘“ He is afraid,” thought he, He was wrong. Harold remembered not only where ho was, but what he had last seen there. | “Speak on,” cried Quelf, “speak on. Let your last words be short.” “T wish,” said Harold, who had the moment before whispered to the giant armourer, who stood there, calm, still, contemptuous, “I wish to say a few words.” _ Quelf motioned to his friends to keep silence. ‘‘ Friends,’ cried Harold, in a lond voice, as he moved towards the closed casement, “ friends, I repeat, for amongst yeur number must be many who have belonged to the honourable Society of Apprentices, of which Iam now the captain, we have been invited here under false pretences, We have come hither in apite of all suspicions and all warnings. We were judged before we came, and condemned when we did come, Let us have time for our defence and justice in our sentence,” A GOVE OOO eS