GRAND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES!!
GRAND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES!!
1,400 VALUABLE PRESENTS
GIVEN AWAY
WITH THE
BOYS OF ENGLAND,
Consisting of Ponies, Pet Dogs, Pigeons, Ducks, Fowls, Rabbits, Concertings, Watches, Cricket Bats, Balls and Stumps, Bows and Arrows, Fishing Rods, Quoits, Boxes of Colours, Sets of Characters, Scenes, Stage Front, etc., etc.
Consisting of Ponies, Pet Dogs, Pigeons, Ducks, Fowls, Rabbits, Concertings, Watches, Cricket Bats, Balls and Stumps, Bows and Arrows, Fishing Rods, Quoits, Boxes of Colours, Sets of Characters, Scenes, Stage Front, etc., etc.
ORDERNo. 1OF THE
BOYS OF ENGLAND.
ONE PENNY WEEKLY.
WithNo. 1is PRESENTED A LARGE AND MAGNIFICENTENGRAVING OF THE BATTLE OF CHEVYCHASE, AND A SET OF CHARACTERS FOR ANEW PLAY.
FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF ANY OTHER BOYS JOURNAL.
LOOK OUT FOR
THE BOY SAILOR;
OR,
LIFE ON BOARD A MAN-OF-WAR.
A most interesting and powerfully-written Tale, to be completed in about 30 Numbers.
No. 2, with No. 1, and a LARGE ENGRAVING, GRATIS.
THE ATTACK ON THE CASTLE.
THE ATTACK ON THE CASTLE.
THE ATTACK ON THE CASTLE.
Full of wild imaginings, Charley opened it, and old Sir Richard, one of the directors of the India House, walked across the room, and without ceremony took a seat on the sofa beside the fire, but without speaking a word.
Pulling off his gloves very slowly and solemnly, he bowed to Phillip, and said, with a frown—
“Would you be kind enough, Phillip, to allow me a few moments’ private conversation with Charles, on very important business, indeed, I can assure you—very—on India House matters, Mr. Redgill, which admits of no delay. Thank you.”
Finding he was out of place at that moment, Phillip bowed in a hurried manner, looked for his handkerchief and gloves, which were thrown about the sofa pillows, and left the room with a flushed face.
“Charles,” at length Sir Richard began, looking the young man sternly in the face, “what am I to understand by your unaccountable conduct?”
A solemn pause.
“Good heavens!” mentally ejaculated Charley, “I am discovered, disgraced, and punished, and all so soon!”
Overcome with emotion, he hung his head in shame and perspired unnaturally at every pore.
“What am I to think of you, sir? Isthisthe reward of all my labour, anxiety, money, and solicitude? Have I not educated you, taken you by the hand, and lifted you up step by step to what youare, eh? And do you now, when I expect to see all my labours rewarded, turn round upon me, and disgrace me?”
“Spare me! Sir Richard! spare me, for heaven’s sake! My heart is bursting, and my brain is all on fire,” said Charles, mournfully, averting his head from the old man’s gaze.
“There are very few things which occurinthe India House or out of it which do not quickly reachmyears, Charles. I only heard of it just now, sir, and must confess I felt shocked. Good Dame Worthington told me.”
“Dame Worthington?” said Charley, astonished. “How could she have known it?”
“Yes, Dame Worthington knew it? Why, of course she does, and every one in the house! Isn’t it the talk of the whole neighbourhood?”
The young man’s agony was painful, and his face became more haggard in a few moments from mental suffering than age could have effected during a course of years.
“What do you think they will do with me, Sir Richard? I shall plead guilty, and save unnecessary trouble and expense.”
“Guilty? Yes, I think so, when so many were witness to it; and your sentence will be to reform, keep early hours, leave wine parties alone and gambling, and beg the old dame’s pardon for swearing at her to-night.”
Had he been shot Charley could not have been more suddenly startled.
Starting to his feet, and looking wildly about him, he comprehended all—Sir Richard knew nothing of his having the bills; and, with a heavy sigh, which then escaped him, there was lifted an insupportable weight of doubt and pain from his soul, and he breathed more freely and rapidly as one who has been running fast, or carrying a heavy load.
Infinitely relieved, the young man even attempted to smile at the unexpected and fortunate turn his imaginings had taken, and, with as much self-command as he could bring to bear upon the conversation, laughed, and begged Sir Richard’s pardon for his wild life of late, and inebriety that night, when the kind old dame was knocked over in the passage, and his own nose had come into violent contact with the stairs.
When Sir Richard had departed, in good humour with the repentant youth, Charley drew the sofa nearer to the fire, and began to congratulate himself upon escaping an anticipated suspicion.
“I wassure, he knew all about it,” thought Charles; “and felt as if I was suspended between heaven and earth! Oh! what a relief it was. It is thefirst, and I will take care it shall be thelasttime I ever act so carelessly again, as sure as I live! If professional thieves suffer only half what I have done since evening, and for no crime whatever, I am sure they would never follow their trade very long. Let me see—I placed the package under the sofa mattress; if either had seen it lying on my table, I should have blown my brains out! But where is it? Gone!” said he, in astonishment, as he examined in every place, “gone! Who could have taken it? No one knew it to be there. Gone it is, undoubtedly. I have searched everywhere, but it can’t be found. Good Heavens! What shall I do? Which of them could have taken it? No, no,neitherof them could have seen or felt it; itmustbe here!”
Charles searched in every imaginable nook and corner, but could not discover the missing roll of bills.
He had placed it under the sofa mattress, he was confident, and unknown to either of his visitors.
Whither or how it had disappeared was a marvel.
Distracted with countless thoughts and emotions, he put on his cloak, and, late as it then was, left the apartment, walking aimlessly up and down first one street and then another, until he found himself opposite the theatre, with its blazing links, oil-lamps, and variously-coloured lanterns.
More from habit than design, Charles passed its portals, and soon found himself among a crowd of gay acquaintances.
“Seen Redgill?” asked he of one and another, until, tired with waiting, he was about to depart, when both met at the door!
“Did you see a small paper packet lying about my room, near the sofa, to-night?” asked Charles, carelessly.
“A small paper packet? No. Why, have you lost one? What was it like?”
“Well, it didn’t look like anything particularly, but it was, you know, very much like one of our bank packets. It was a packet of long envelopes and other papers.”
“Bank packets, eh? No, my boy, I didn’t see it; I was too much taken up with thinking of money matters. If you remember, you said you hadn’t a penny, and I was racking my brain to devise means for borrowing some, for there is a grand bal masque on here to-night. Is it very valuable? You look vexed—perplexed. What’s the matter, Charley, my boy? If I can help you out of the scrape command me, you know——”
“Well, the fact is, Phillip, the package I speak of, which so much resembles a bank package, contained something very valuable, more valuable than my life, in fact. Without I recover it my existence is henceforth a blank and worthless. I amdishonoured!”
“Don’t say ‘dishonoured,’ my boy; that is impossible;youcould never do anything which would reflect dishonour on yourself or your many acquaintance. Cheer up; you may find it to-morrow. If it is a hundred or two you want, you can have it in a day or two from me even.”
Charles went home almost mad.
“Lucky thing I called at Warbeck’s apartments to-night,” said Redgill, to himself, as soon as Charles had left him. “What brought that money onhistable? Methinks I smell a very large-sized mouse,” said he, with a fiendish smile, drinking wine at a small wine-shop near the theatre. “I managed to abstract it rather neatly, I must confess; his head wasn’t turned more than a minute—and it contains £2,000. What careIif the foolisruined? I only wish it were Ned Warbeck instead; how my heart would leap with joy—the young viper!”