Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

rece eeecepeeEn teen pemenenereerereerensuneneenrwecet <-> BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. 66 You know who I mean?” I d 93 “The villain who has just left us.” “ Jonathan Wild?” ‘¢ ven he. The other two, miss, are Jack Sheppard and Joseph Blake, or Blueskin, as he is often called.” “Ah! yes, [ know. J remember him. Where is he? Is he, too, a prisoner?” “No, miss, he is free, but in momentary danger of being captured. He is a firm true friend to you, and all in whom you take an interest.” ‘¢ T know that.” ‘¢That ig well! Then he, too, is a friend of mine. are linked together to achieve one object.” <¢ And that is’”?—— ‘¢ The downfall of the villain Wild, and, as a matter of course, your restoration to those rights which you have eo long stood dispossessed of.” ‘°I believe you. Truth is in your face. I will trust you now entirely. Once more, then—tell me, and tell me freely, all you know about Jack Sheppard.” ¢¢ 7 would rather not, miss.” “Why not?” And yet you call yourself my friend.” *¢ What shall I do?” ‘* Prove that you are such by telling that which I want to know.” *¢ Tt is ill news.” ‘You alarm me more by speaking as you do, than if you let me know the worst at onee. Tell me, I pray on.” ne He is @ prisoner, then, in Newgate. Wild has sent him there. He is accused of ’—— ‘© What—what—oh! what?” ‘* Robbery and ”’-—— ‘© And what? Why keep me in this suspense P” ** Murder!” . *’No—no. Impossible. I do not believe it. Will not. Heisbad. Heis guilty. I know that. But it is not his fault. Circumstances have conspired to cause it. This is but eome deep malignity of Wild’s. Has ha been found guilty P”’ ‘* T Enow not, but I fear so. Whenever Wild appears against @ prisoner, he is eure to be condemned. U's trial came on this morning.” ‘* Tmpossible.”’ ** Tt is true; and so, wishing to see you and assure you that even here you had a friend watching over yon, I took advantage of his absence to ascend. you know, I came juat in time to save your life.” ‘““Who was that woman? But stop, before you tell me any more. Let me hear all about Jack Sheppard.” **’You know almost all now, except the better part of it. He was tried this morning, but I don’t know the resuit. However, Blueskin and myself have determined to set &:m e 7? ‘* Then there is hope.” ‘*Bvery hope; though Jonathan does not think 6o. He thinks that little matter quite settled. You must know that from some of the windows in this house a view of the top of the Old Bailey and a part of Snow-hill can be had, and on a Monday morning, when people are taken to be executed, they are placed in a cart and conveyed to Tyburn. Now, do you understand what Jonathan meant ?” ‘“s Oh! heavens; is it possible for such inhumanjty to exist.” “‘Ttseemsso. Butno villainy is too black for Jonathan.” ** And he really thought of showing him to me on his way to the scaffold. Heaven forgive him.” ** He has need of such a prayer. But be of good heart. Rely upon it, Blueskin will leave no means untried to effect his freedom. You know, too, that Jack is not one ae give up merely because he is confronted by a few diffi- ties We “1 know he is not. Nor is he one tocommit a murder. I am eure he is innocent, at least of that.’ “Doubtless,” said Steggs, compliantly, for he did not wish to anger her by dissenting to what she said. “What am I todo?” shesaid. ‘* Would that I was at liberty.” “That is Blneakin’s wish, even more than your own; but, as Jack’s case is the most urgent, he imagined that os oe please you best if be turned his attention first m. 959 _ “And he was right—qnuite right. When Jack Sheppard is free, then attompt my release. But, if he perishes, T were enero live.” ‘ ut,” said Steggs, hesitatingly, “ you must not forget that you are a lady, beth by birth and ‘wealth and—and— he—that is Sheppard—he—is—yonu understand—he’’—-—~ _ “Cease. I know what you would say, but I shall not listentoit. When I wasfriendless—helpless—he generously stood my friend, and all that he has endured has been caused by me. Had he consented to assist Wild in his schemes, he would not now be the object of his hatred. We were equal when we first met, and nothing shall make me feel my position to be different to his when we are together, as [ trust we soon shall be.” ‘You are just,” said Steggs, “ but still I only wanted to remind you of that which [ thought you had moat likely forgotten.” “No—no. But what ehall you doP How shall you contrive to leave me P ” *“‘ Let me manage that. As soon as I can I will learn the result of the trial, and see Blneskin. The next thing will be to let you know all that has taken place.’’ ** Do so—do so, and aceept my earnest thanks.” **'You have faith in me ?” *¢ T have.” __ That is enough, but, ere I try to leave, I should like, if you will give me permission, to enter into some par- ticulars, in order that you may not only eomprehend my position, but your own at the same time.” ‘* Speak—speak !” cried Edgworth Bess. “I am im- patient in the extreme to hear.” CHAPTER CLXXX. THE PERILS OF STEGGS’S POSITION IN WILD’S HOUSE BECOME GREATER AND GREATER. ENTREATING the poor girl to be calm, Steggs, at her request, drew a chair up to the bedside, and commenced the revelations to which he had alluded. But as the reader 1s already in possession of all the facts which he had to communicate, it will be scarcely necessary to set down his words upon this occasion. Let it suffice to say that he was as good as his word, and by making her understand his own peculiar position in Wild’s household, he enabled her to comprehend her ewn, and the views and intentions of the villainous thief. er. ; He unfolded also his own plot against him, and showed her the extreme likelihood of its success, but, in spite of what he said, she trembled at the thought of the frightful amount of risk he would run. Lo some extent, however, he reassured her. At length, when he had finished, he prepared to leave. They parted with the mutual understanding that Steggs should take the first opportunity of letting her know what had happened. And now came Steggs’s greatest danger. It would be impossible, however, for him always to stop where he was, and the sooner he got out the better. ccordingly he unlocked the door with the skeleton poy: and locked it after him as silently as he possibly could. Creeping forward, then, he reached the head of the stairs, and ere he ventured to descend, looked down. He more than half suspected that a man would be there to watch who ascended and descended the stair- case. Of course, if he was seen doing the latter, suspicion would immediately fall upon him. His absence he had no doubt had already excited comment, Peeping down, he saw that what he expected was really the case. At the foot of the second flight of stairs, and near the spot where Mary Milliner had Fallen, a man was stationed. Steggs looked more closely, in order to ascertain who it 8 was. It was Wilkinson. a To go downstairs unseen by him was an impossibility. Then what was he to do P His safest course, he knew, would be to get in at the front door, but then what means had he of gaining the atreet ? He did not know of the disused passage ieading from oF EO NOOKS (SO)