Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

a = — Se I eee ee eee BLUESKIN Ce aan Of a surety the landlord’s treatment was etticacious, and e ducked in his head again and again, until at length he elt himself comyletely revived. He proceeded then to arrange his apparel. When he had fiaished he looked indeed very little the werse for his night’s debauch. His eyes were bloodshot, and the lids full and overhanging, but that was ell. Tle stood, too, pretty fi:mly upon his legs. * Let me see,” he said, ‘the landlord told me, « think, I was to wait here until Blake, or Blueskin, as they call him, came. ‘Vhat does he want me for? Oh, [ recol- lect—to joi. Jonathan Wild’s band! I will do at, for something seems to tell me that the celehrated thief- taker and myself will be great friends. Perhaps, then, I may have my revenge upon John Roots! Oh, that would be sweet, indeed!” The very tk vzgnt of the distant prospect, even of con- summating his revenge upon his master, appeared to endow him with a fresh accession of strength. dohn Roots had raised up a more terrible enemy than Le imagined. Jack Sheppard stepped towards the door. . But just as he was about to fling it open and descend the stairs, he again heard the approach of some one. He drew back at once. That subtility ef intellect which pervaded all his actions prompted him instinetively to draw back rather than open the door, though he knew very well he had nothing to dread. It was Blueskin. ‘“ Bravo!” he said, on his entrance, on seeing how well Jack looked. ‘‘ Bravo! then to Jonathan Wild.” “Tam ready,” replied Jack. ‘* Ill follow.” The pair quickly descended the stairs. “ Tn here first,” said Blake, catching Jack by the sleeve, and dragging him through a little door on the nght. “In here first.” It was the bar. **Now Jobnson, a couple of glasses of your best erindy, and then we’re off!” * Yos, Mr. Blake; with pleasure sir.” Tt was at first against Jack’s inclination to imbibe any no spints, but he was prevailed upon by his companion to UO SO. “Just this one toothful,” he said. “It is just what | You mark my words if you | you require to set you right. don’t feel another man after it.” The toothful, as Blueskin called it, was a good-sized | wine-glass full. Nevertheless, Jack drank it off. He became at ouce conscious of its effects. The dull feeling which had oppressed him both bodily | and mentally, passed away as if by magic. Its effect was to produce a buoyaney of spirit, and a degree of recklessness which he had never before ex- hibited. © Vlurrah !’’ he said. for anything.” “That's the ticket, then. We ought to lose no time, for T left Mr. Wild in his little room upstairs, where he aiways sits for an hour or two1u the afternoon. That’s when he’s best tempered.” “Who cares whether he’s good-tempered or bad, eh ? I don’t Blueskin, | don’t.” Blake slapped him on the back just between the shoulders. “Capital”? ha said. your father. Capital. civil, but bold.” “Oh, come along, Iam ready to see him. Johnson, old boy. “Vm all mght now, and ready “Capital! That was just lke Good hye, She landlord of the “ B'ack Lion” looked quite aguast | _ doomed. 1. the sudden change. The fact was it waco not altczether owing to the brandy | having got into Jack’s head thet this sudden alteration wok place, nor was it artificial and foreign to his nature. | On the contrary, he had beea noted for his recklessness, | sudacity, and good humonr. The events which we have at some length aeseribed, | wf eourse had for a time the natural result of diminishing | wie axuberance of his spirits, but with the elasticity cf Come along down stairs, and Bet when you see Mr. Wild be | _ building which preceded 1t. mind that! A ROMANCE, aa a = Cm ; Gap ab i Ol oe “Now, Jack,” he said, as they shaped their way wards Newgate-strect ; ‘‘ just listen to me!” He was encouraged by his strange and newly-formec friend, whom he followed eagerly to the street-door. “Cut along.” P If you only manage matters earefily you will get on in the world. I have taken a great fancy to you, and { will look 2iter you. Now, as you know, Iam going to introduce you to Jonathan Wild.” “The great?” “Yes; Jonathan Wild, the great! He isa great man, but, like all other great men, he has a weakness. It ia harmless enough, and I won't say not natural encrgh, but it is a weakness notwithstanding.” “Oh! itis?” Yes.” ‘“* And what is yours?” “Miner” “* Yes, yours.” ‘‘T bhaven’t one.” ** How can that be?” “Oh! easily enough.” “JT don’t see it.” “You don’t ?”’ ** Most certainly net.” “What did you tell me just now P” “What about ? ” Jonathan Wild.” “And what about him P”’ ; ‘You said that every great man had his weakness.” “1 know I did, and it’s quite true.” “Then what’s your weakness? You don’t mean to say you are not a great man?” “Oh! stop your jokes. Listen to what I am going to tell you; you'll find it very important to yeu indeed.” “Oh! bother; listen tome. If every great man has a weaknegs, 1s every cone who has got a weakness a great man ?” * Bah!” “Because, if that’s the case—and your’s aint good logic if it isn’t—I am a great man. I’ve got a weakness —a strong weakness, too! 1 love all the pretty girls J see.” “Don’t be a foel, Jack, or I’m off, mind that. ‘ Wo- man’s the devil, as the old proverb says, and you'll find it out one of these days if you don’t watch it.” ‘* Never mind; I shall love them just the same bfoss their hearts. But what do you want to tell me?” “Ah! now you're getting a little bit reasonable. Reaily, sirce you had that nip of brandy, you don’t seem like the same.” “Oh! I[ feel all right, and as happy aga king. The only drawback is, | haven’t had an opportunity of serving old Roots out.” ‘An opportunity will be sure to occur sooner or later, Jack, so don’t let that trouble you. Now, here we are, at the corner of the Old Bailey, so if you want to hear how you are to behave te Mr. Wild, and have any regard for your neck, you'll listen patiently to what I’ve got to say.” “1 am listening,” said Jack. : CHAPTER XI. RELATES THE MANNER IN WHICH JACK SHEPPARD COM- MITTED HIS FIRST ROBBERY.—THE ALARM. HE looked up at the large, black, gloomy-looking prison as he spoke. Old Newgate! Not the present uniform-looking structure, but the Little did Jack think, as he gazed upon the shinizrg walls, how intimately that structure and himself were to be connected, and tho fate for which he was pre- But, in fact, he had no epportunity for thoncht. for his companion spoke to him earnestly. ‘There is nothing,” said he, “ which Mr. Wild thinks so much ot as being treated with respectful submission : He does not like ore whois afraid fo mcve or speak, nor yet one that would cheek him in his own house.” “1 understand.” Ly = S = t® & sy « = = a ° aaa 6" ee Os © ten el, ees, ae. eee CU geuth be had overcome all that. » ‘He is a man who possesses an unlimited extent of ———_— re re a ree EN Sa — a SS Si ~ ate. MES 6, § pl. CU =< GOnnlGoaoo C