Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

4 \4é BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ** Aias—alas!” replied the woman. ‘“ I know of no way to serve you, or else I would gladly do so. Ah! they are ere!” The officers of police reached the door at that moment. ‘It is the only chance I have,” said Jack. “Are you alone?” ** Quite.” “T must get into bed with you, and you must conceal me as wellas you can with the clothes. When my foes enter, you must tell them you have not seenme. There is no time to delay or expostulate. Allow me to do as I say, or else you will be my murderess.” More dead than alive, the poor woman, who could tell Jack was young, and who possessed a gentle heart, suffered him to do as he had said, though, for her own part, she did not think the place would answer his purpose. With great speed Jack got bencath the elothes. The bedstead was placed agamst the wall, and it was towards that that he got, serewing himself up into as small a compass as he possibly eould. He had just time to whisper a last injunction to the woman, who was trembling in every limb, when the door was violently thrown open, and the officers rushed into the room. By this time they had all provided themselves with lan- terns, or nearly so, and therefore they were able to see, with tolerable distinetness, all about the wretched chamber. The fright whieh the poor woman dispiayed, and the tears she shed, were aseribed to the alarm whieh she would naturally feel upon the sudden irruption of a number of armed men. In astern tone of voiee the commanding offieer asked her whether she had seen or heard any one enter the room, and to the question she returned, in a trembling voice, a negative reply. ‘T'he whole of the place was rapidly, but rigidly searehed. Of eourse, as they did not look where he lay concealed, it was fruitless. Poor Jaek was almost stifled, but still he did not dare ie move to geta little air, for fear of betraying his hiding- place. Lhe woman, who must have been a kind-hearted creature, did all she could to econeeal him. In this she sueceeded, for, in a few minutes, the officers withdrew, feeling assured that he was uot in that room at east. To prevent his entering it, however, and their so having their seareh for nothing, one of their number was placed as a sentinel on the landing outside the door. As soon as he found the last had departed, Jaek left his plaee of coneealment, and drew a long breath at the narrow eseape he had had. He did not dare to whisper even to the woman, for sh that the sound should reach the ears of the man out- side. In silenec, therefore—and the pair of them listening to all tho various sounds which disturbed the house—they sat upon the edge of the bed. The tears still flowed from the eyes of the poor widow, for she felt a woman’s terrer for the dangerous position in which Jaek was placed. Both thought the search would never end. At length, however, the men could be heard descending the staircase, slowly, and as if bafiled in their cbjeet. “Thank heaven,” said the woman, as the echo of the last footstep died away, “thank heaven! von are saved.” “Say, rather, thank you,” replied Jack, “for had you not acted as you did, I should now have been with the dead. I shall be ever grateful to you.” “Do not meniion it. What I did was done willingly enongh, goodness knows. There was something about your volee which seemed to remind me of my poor son. But you cannot be him, for he was hung at Tybura two years ago.”’ “At Tyburn ?” ‘Yes, but do not think he descrved that Ceath. It was Jonathan Wild who swore to bring him there, and he kept his oath.” Jonathan Wild?” repeated Jack, while a inost uncom- fortable feeling erept over him, as he thought that Jonathan had sworn he should share a similar fate; “‘he is my foe.” * Does he hunt your” asked the widow, eagerly. **Kiveu so.” “Then I pity you. You are young, and it is always _——SSS hard for the young to die; but you wiil before you are ey weeks older. The enemies of Jonathan Wild never ve. ‘I despise him,” said Jack, assuming a defiant air which he was far from feeling. ‘‘ I have too much to live for to die yet. I live, as well, in hopes of defeating him in his most cherished schemes. He is a villain. The blood of my dearest friend calls npon me for vengeance. Let him beware, for I will have it to the full!” “ Lost—lost!’’ moaned the poor woman. ‘‘ As it was with you, so it was even with my son; but he perished— yes, he perished—and Jonathan Wild triumphed.” ‘** Hush!” said Jack, *‘ do not speak so loud, for fear we should be overheard. Listen to me. For what you have done to save me I feel deeply grateful; in what way can I serve you?” **T wish for no reward.” “But you shall have it,” said Jacek. ‘“‘ Money must be of service to you. I have none now, but I soon shall have. Let me know your name, in order that when I come again ] may inquire for you. “I do not wish to be rewarded further for what I have done than [ already am.” “But I insist upon it. What is your name P” ‘‘ Lawzenee,” replied the poor widow. *Wnough,” said Jaek. “The room gets lighter every moment. Shp on yonr clothes and run down stairs, and aseertain whether the officers have left the premises. You ean go down without attraeting suspicion. Above all, try to see Johnson, and let him know where I am, and he will then devise some means of getting me away.” In obedienee to his words the woman hastily huddled on the few rags which served her for clothing, and then stole down the staircase. CHAPTER C. JACK SHEPPARD’S PERPLEXITIES AT TIE SS BLACK LION”? INCREASE. EF AGERLY, most eagerly, did Jack Sheppard listen until he heard the last faint sounds of the widow’s retreating foot- steps. Then, as he sat upon the bedside, he rested hig head in his hands and thonght. Thought of his friend Blueskin, who, as the reader is aware, he imagined to be dead. Thonght of the poor perseented girl, to whom his gtk clung so closely, and for whom alone he only cared to hve. Thought of his own dangerous situation, his inability to aid her, his own erimes and unworthiness. Thought, too, last of all, with deep hatred at his heart, of the areh villain, Jonathan Wild, by whose infernal machinations most of this had been brought about. And as he took a mental review of the past, and speeu. lated upon the future, he grew almost frantie. So absorbed was he, that he did not hear the woman weaseend the stairs. It was the opening of the door that aroused him. Ile sprang to his feet, but the woman ealled to him to be quiet. Then, going to the window, she drew aside the apology for a curtain which eovered it, and allowed what hght there was outside to penetrate the chamber. The dawn cf the new day had fairly come, and a dull, eold, grey, misty twilight filled the room. But it was sutiicient to enable the occupants to separate the different objects in it, and distinguish their own outlines. Jack crept elose to her. As she was standing near the window he was able to note the expression of her features. So far as he was able to tell, she seemed to be a woman of about fifty years of age, thongh it is probable that eare and want had made her look prematurely old. Iler fuee was very thin, and of that ghastly sallow hue so often seen upon the countenanees of the inhabitants of the more densely populated portions of the metropchs. Her hair was thin and seanty; gray in colour, and now i? a most dishevelled state. Her clothes, and the manner in which they hung about her person, as well as, in fact, her whole appearance, be- tokened extreme poverty. 5}