Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

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Dont be shy APPEARANCE OF YOUNG WILLIAM STANSBURY. with me, Jack, You are a clever fellow, and I hike you.” | py pay laughed Wild, rubbing his huge hands © Tum sorry I can’t say the same thing.” aoe y og his hu lan “Are you? I didn’t know you had any more regard together, and eracking his fingers. “‘ Ha! ha! Wilkin. for the truth than | have. Yes, Mr. Wild.” P cs rer one question,’ said Jack; ‘‘ and tell the : cert for once”? 4 , 7 Ly Jack Sheppard make a bolt just then 2” 1d, sir. ‘What do you want to know, Jack? Tam willing to forget the past and be friends again, it you are. Then be off after him, and don’t lose sight of him, as é Has Edgworth Bess escaped ?” | you value your life. Don’t let him see you. Off you go. ‘* She has.” Don’t leave him a minute, but communicate with me as a 9) ‘You have not recaptured her ¢ | often as youcan. Off #t once.” ‘No, thanks to you, she got clear off. 1 pursued her, * All right, Mr. Wild. Pll do it, you may depend. but she had left no clue by which | could trace her foot- He’s just turned down Warwick-lane.”’ steps.” ‘Make haste, then, or you will lose sight of him. Then I care not, so long as she is not in your power.” | Don’t let lim see you following him for the world.”’ ‘Well, Jack! Wall you be triends? IL have beento| Wilkinson, who was a very active nan, darted off after Newgate and heard how you served the governor, and Jaek. | how you got into my house I can form a pretty good, Jonathan stood upon his doorstep, and watched his guess, ‘1 don’t believe there’s another man breathing | progress. who could have acheived what you have achieved to-| Satisfaction beamed from every lineament in his face. night!” “TIa! ha!” he laughed again, so much pleased was he Jack felt pleased. with his scheme. ‘‘I shall have her now. A capital It was one of his tailings to be fond of flattery. thonght, and how blindly he fell into the suare. I would 'To be flattered, too, by Jonathan Wild was something | stake my life he finds the girlin half the time that I should, extraordinary. if I set allany mento work. Let him doso. I shall then But, it must be remembered, Jaek’s perceptions were not | only have to learn their whereabouts from Wilkinson, and in so clear a state just then as they generally were. make them again my prisoners. Ha! ha! It’s very good. “Jack,” said Wild again, while his evil-looking eyes | When I get her again I will take care, too, she does not twinkled with anticipated triumph, “are you willing to; escape; and as for Jack, why heshall hang, and there will forget the past, and be friends with me? Say yes, and’ be an end of him.” vou shall have your freedom, and if you will only serve! Jonathan Wild closed the door, and retired into his me I will guarantee to get you ont ot all your difficulties: house. What do you say, yes orno?” | fe called Tonks, and bade him take Wilkinson’s place “What do you wish me to do in return?” said Jack, | on the lock. who, just then, would have been willing to purehase his; Then, thoronghly and perfectly satisfied with himself, liberty at almost any price. | Wild direeted his steps to his sitting-room on the first- “ Nothing that we shall quarrel about.” | floor, and sitting down near the fire, poured out a large “ Edeworth Bess 5”? suid Jack, mquiringly. tumbler of brandy. “We will leave her entirely out of the question. All Tt | He wanted to think a httle, and arrange the different ask is, let me have my regulars, and assist me now and! business matters he had then in hand. then, when I require some one clever, and we will ery! They were various. quits.” ‘The first in importance was the reeapture of Edgeworth “You will let me tree ?” | Bess, without whom he could do nothing. | ‘‘ Assuredly, if you subscribe to my terms. Are you This he considered was as good as done, and was tole- willing to forget the past, and be trends? It will be. rably easy. much to the advantage of both of us to be alliesaud uot, Ile felt quite sure Jack would not rest until he had enenies.” found her. Jack hesitated a moment. Then there was Lord Donmull. How shonld he act At length he said— with regard to him? Should he make him acquainted © Agreed!” with the startling fact that the young girl was at liberty ? “Come on, then, Jack!” said Wild, while the twinkle’ Certainly not; there was no knowing what might be the in his eyes was sueceeded by a hideous grin. “ You are) result. He would soon have her in his power again, and tree to go where you choose. ‘The conditions are light, | he could easily conceal her absence until then. and I have let you off easily. But the fact is, I was| Next came Steggs. What should he do with him? pleased with the clever manner iu which you made your) Get up a ease against him and have him brought t> trial, escape from Newgate. You chmbed up a leaden pipe on, or would it be safer to put him to death in some less to the roof, did yon not *” pubhe manner ? I did. | . | That eonsideration he deferred. He was quite safe ‘And then how did vou get into my house?” where he was, he thought, at all events for the present. *'Throngh the trap-door in the roof.” Then, last of all, he thought of the mysterious old Well—well, you have a rare courage, and, if you will | man who had related auch a strange story to him about believe me, I am glad things have turned ont as they | the disappearance of his son with so large a sum of money have. Act square with me, Jack, and you have nothing in his possession. What should he do in that? Clearly to fear! While we are foes we only injure each other. it was his best poliey to give it every consideration, and Be friends!” “use every means in his power to unravel the affair. Should Agreed!” said Jack again, who, in the weak state he he jacceed in finding him, he would create for himself a was in, was hardly conscious of the reality er the events be! *:+ reputation, and might gloss over some of his other which were tuking place. “ Agreed, if you wiiletme tre gections. tree at once.” / ‘Puat, as the reader knows, was tlie view that he lad “It shall be done as vou desire, Jack. nda i trust yeu taken of the matter at the onset, and further reflection w3ll take it in the way I mean it.” only served to show him the benetit it would be to him. Ce »~ Id ’ ‘ How : | He touched the coneealed handle of the be. “Asa token that | am in earnest iu wishing t+ We = Wild was in'a good temper again. Things were, he frends with you. 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