The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 218: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 215 ant night, any way, for me. Sorrow’s the fool they can call Rafferty Brolickbones now.” At length twelve o'clock was solemnly pealed forth from the church turret that could be just seen peeping over the tops of the houses. and in another moment Rafferty was at the area rails, and had given them a kick that made the whole mass of them vibrate again. He had not to wait long. A light flashed from the kitchen window, and then the door leading into the area was cautiously opened, and a voice said— ‘‘ Hist! hist! Is it you?” toe my jewel,” said Rafferty, ‘it’s myself, and no one else.” ‘*Where’s the captain? She says she won’t come unless the captain is here himself, for fear it should be some scheme.” ‘* Well, it is a scheme, and a mighty fine scheme, any way. You tell her it’s Rafferty Brolickbones, and see if she won’t come.” ‘* Very well, wait.” Rafferty waited for some time, and then the servant came out into the area, and said in a whisper: ‘‘No, she will see the captain before she comes out, she says; as for you, she don’t know you from Adam.” ‘* Not know me! Oh, blazes! Not know me? Tell the little darlint not to be after poking her fun at me; [ll take her to the captain before she is ten minutes older, I swear by ali the blessed calendar.” ‘> Well, I’ll tell her.” Away went the servant again, and this time she was success- ful; for she came out in a hurry, and ran up the steps with a bag in her hand, to open the gate. ‘*She’s coming! she’s coming!” she whispered, ‘‘andsoam I.” ‘*Come along, then, my darlint; you're a mighty fine girl of your size, you are, 60 I won't be after saying nay to that part of the bargain.” ‘“‘She is only putting on her bonnet and crying. Here she comes, here she comes. You really ought, Mr. Berleybones, to have brought the captain with you—captains give a sort of con- fidence to young ladies, you know.” ‘‘Mav beso. But where's the odds? It’s a happy man he’ll be when he sees her.”’ From the kitchen now emerged the form of a young female, closely enveloped in a large shawl. With quick step and agi- tated manner she ascended to the area gate; and in another mo- ment both she and the servant were in the street. ‘‘There goes the gate shut,” said the servant; ‘‘and they sha’n’t say in the morning they don’t know where the key is.” As she spoke, she cast the key down the area, and, at the same moment, the young lady laid her head upon Rafferty’s arm, and said,— an - “Do not deceive me, but take me to Captain Lovemore at once.” Rafferty might at that moment have been knocked down by comicbooks. com