Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 262: what you’re looking at

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

Mea FEE OE DE REIL IIS ELL CLEA SESS, oneiiineat ING ose 260) ee ee . the back yard into Newgate-market, or he would have availed himself of that. Clearly no good was to be got by descending, s* he turned to the attic stairs. Up these he crept as silently and stealthily as a cat. . 6 upper part of the house was tolerably familiar to m. ‘< Tf, now,” he muttered to himself, ‘I could make friends with the people who live next door, all would be well. I must tryiton. If I fail it can’t be helped. J have no other chance.”’ What Steggs meant by making friends with the people next door will bo very quickly seen. As we have before stated, there was immediately above the landing at tho top of the attic stairs, a trap-door open- ing on to the tiles, by means of which Jack Sheppard had once entered Wild’s house. Tt was out of his reach as he stood on the floor, but Steggs thought that by standing on the top of the massive balustrades, he should be just able to reach it. He made the attempt, and found the feat practicable. Carefully balancing himself, he pushed against the trap- door, to see whether it would open. Ho quite expected to find it fastened in some way, and, therefore, it was an agreeable surprise for him when he found it yield before the pressure he applied to it. He pushed it partially upwards and open, and caught hold of the edge with his bands. Then, after numerous struggles, and by assisting him- self against the walls, he managed to draw himeelf up, and finally crawled through the aperture. He closed the trapdoor carefully, and then glanced around. Just before him was the roof of the hnge city rison. ‘That was on the west side of Jonathan Wild shone, On the east side was a house, similar in appearance to the thief-taker’s, which was occupied by a shoemaker and his wife. ; At least, they were the responsible tenants to the land- ord. How many more shared the occupancy of the premises with them it would have been hard to tell. It was, in fact, a house let out in lodgings. The shoemaker and his wife, and half a score of children eccupied the basement. The ground floor was let to another family, and go on, with the different floors above, so that there must have been, upon a moderate calculation, one hundred people in the house at least. : There ar? many such houses to be found in London to- ay. The trafho np and down the stairs was imniense, go the front door was never closed except at night, in conse- quence of the continual going in and out. All this Steggs had previonsly noticed before he ven- tured upon entering the thief-taker’s employ. His observation proved to be of service to him. With great show of reason he calculated that if he could get inside the honse he should be able to leave it unnoticed and unperceived. The different lodgers must have visitors to sce them occasionally, and they would of course be allowed to pass ent unquestioned. If he should be stopped he had two excuses ready to use as circumstances should require. Stooping down, so as to be out of sight of any one in the street, he crept over the roof of Wild’s house, and oa to the one next to it. Here was a trap-door just like the one he had just come through. In fact, those two formed part of a row of honses ree were bnilt at the same time, and upon the same plan. His chief danger, he felt, wonld be the contingency of any one aeeing him make an entry into the house in 80 surreptitious a manner. He placed his ear over the door and /tened. All was still. He then tried to raise it a little, and, after some treable, enoceeded for the rain had greatly ewelled the wood- work. When it was open about a couple of inches, he tried to peep down. But all beneath was darknese. pa RR - ~Re ee Se ee BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. He listened, but no indications of any persons moving about reached his ears. Rapidly, then, and cautiously—for he did not know how soon this favourable condition of things would terminate —-he opened the trap-door still wider, and pushed himself throngh. Then droppod on to the landing. He made a slight noise, of course, as his feet struck the boards, but still not much. The landing had sceined in total darkness when he looked down from the light above, but now he found it was faintly dluminated. Withont pausing a moment, then, he crossed thie landing to the head of the stairs, and descended them ag fast ag his legs would allow him. He heard a door opened above, but he paid no atlention to its except that it served to make him accelerate his speed. : The staircase was dark and awkwardly constructed, but he made his way down it without falling. The last flight was reached. ; ae moment, and he would have been in the street. But when he reached the bottom, he saw the landlerd of the house standing at the front door, and leaning his back against the post in a lazy attitude. From his appearance, Steggs came to the conclusion that he had beon standing there for some time. He knew he was in the habit of dog so for hours. He might ask him a question. Besides, he wished to keep out of his sight. In the hope that he would move from his post, Stegga drew back to a dark corner of the staira and waited. Here the time passed slowly. He could see the landlord, but to his intense aggra- vation, he made no offer to move. He looked up and down the street with the listless air of one who has nothing whatever to do, and who knows not how to pass the time away. How long he would have stood there is hard to say, but he was interrupted by ashrill voice, which came from the lower regions. “Thomas! —Thomas ! Youidle, good-for-nothing lout, ie al you ceme to your dinner when it’s ready for on The landlord said pol. a word, but turned round, and eubmissively walked down stairs. This was the moment Steggs seized upou, and he was out into Newgate-street like a shot. And now arose the rather important questiou—should he take advantage, now he was out, of the opportunity of seeing Blueskin, and learning the result of the tnal, or should he return at once to Wild’s house. After a little deliberation, he decided upon the former. He would make what haste he could, and it would not take him long. Accordingly he directed bis steps to Drury-lane, whers he had little doubt he should find the persen he wished to see. When he reached the “‘ Black Lion,” Blueskin and ths landlord were endeavouring to think of some plan by which Jack's release could be effected. Here he learned the result of the trial, and, indeed, all he wished to know. In his turn he communicated his own adventures iw Wild’s house. But he could not stay for any lengthened conference. On his return he was accosted by Tonks, who was, perhaps, less ill-disposed towards him than any other one ef Wild’s men. “You have come in just in time,” he said. <«t Why P 93 “ Johnny's upstairs, and he has just called me to ssy he wants you.” ‘‘Humbly, yes,” said Steggs. ‘* I’ll go up at once.” CHAPTER CLXXXI. IN WHICH JONATHAN WILD PLAYS ENTIRELY INTO STEGSS'2 HANDS. Tonks looked up rather curiously after him as he ascended the stairs, and as he turned away, he muttered— ‘Tm bleat if I can make that chap out at all! keep an eye upon him to find out what he 1s arter.”” T meet Re aD er Lo et eee pee OE — = EO NOOl|KS.EO© >