Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

‘** When Mr. Wild’s gentlemen came and took possession of the front door, and they told me they were on the watch for you in case you should try and get into the street” **Oh! what else?” ** Then I told them about you taking the top attic, and so we agreed that I should come up and see whether you were in it.” © And what elseP Tell your whole plot, or your life will pay the forfeit.” ** Tf yon were here ”"—— *“Curse you, goon. You tire my patience.” “Oh! there is nothing more.” **Go on, I tell you. I know there is more. three. Will you speak ?” “Oh! dear, yes. Anything to spare my life. I was to come in, you know, if I could, and speak to you, and try to take you downstairs.”’ “That was it, was it? and then they would have com- fortably nabbed us.” ‘*T am afraid they would.” ** J don’t know whether you are more knave than fool.” ** Whichever you like, sir.” ** But anyhow you have need to tremble for your life. ou have sided with our enemies, and have tried to betray us to them, and your life must pay the penalty.’ No—no! Have mercy. You told me you would spare my life if I told youall. I have told you. Have mercy!” ** Are you sure you have told us all? Reflect a moment and refresh your memory before you reply. Aye you sure you have told ns all ?” * Yes, I am quite sure.” ‘Then what excuse have you to offer for your conduct ? We came here as lodgers—we paid you liberally for your accommodation; then what right had you to betray us?” ** You forget the reward.” ** And it was that which tempted you, was it?” ** Tt was.” ** And nothing else?” ‘* Nothing else.” ‘** It was not because you had any spite against me and wished to see me scragged ?”’ ‘Not a bit of it. You never did me any harm, and I don’t suppose you ever would.” ** Of course I should not.” ‘ T rather like yon than otherwise, and I should be as sorry as anybody to know you had come to grief.” _ ** But did not you wish to render Wild a service if you could ?” *€ Not a bit of it. I don’t like him well enough.” ** It was only the reward that you wanted ?” “That is all, indeed. You see Iam a poor man, and the temptation was greater than I could withstand.” ** Well, if that is the state of the case, of course there is some excuse for you.” **'Do you think so?” **'Yes, I do.”’ ** Then you will spare me?” _ That depends upon your conduct. your attention to something.” **T'o what?” ‘* How many of Wild’s meu are there downstairs P”’ *€Do you mean in the street as well?” ** Yes.” ** About twenty.” ‘Oh! about twenty. Now, of course, if your little plan had succeeded you would have expected the reward to be shared out among yon?” *€ Ye-ye-yes.” You didn’t think you would have the whole of the reward to yourself, did you p?? *¢ No, I suppose not.’ “OF course not. Now just attend to me for a moment, will you 2” . **Oh! yes.” **Now I should think the least that coula be done, would be for the reward to be equally divided ainong you. Shouldn’t you?” **T expect that is what they would want.” “To be sure; and very fair it would be, I take it. Now you said there were twenty of Wild’s men down. stairs.” ‘* Abont twenty.” o ‘Well, say there were twenty, counting ycurself as one. One—two I want to call 7 a ee BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ddl Now, if so, it follows that the reward must be divided into twenty portions.” ** Yes, but what of that ?” **T will tell you in a moment, if you will pay attention. The reward, you say, is five hundred pounds. Niw that, euaeeg by twenty, will give just twenty-five pounds apiece or you. ** I suppose it would.” “Now that to me appears a very trifling sum of money.” “TI don’t say it mightn’t, but it seema a great deal to a peor man with a large family.” “ That’s right euough, but you don’t geem to have in- cluded one thing in your calculations.”’ What P” “Why, that you exposed your life—that, indeed, you were more hikely to lose it than not. Now, do you mean to tell me that you only estimate your life to be worth twenty-five pounds? ” CHAPTER COXXX. BLUESKIN AND JACK SHEPPARD COMPEL THE LODGING- HOUSE KEEPER TO CONNIVE AT THEIR ESCAPE. THIS seemed to be quite a fresh view of the case to the lodging-house keeper, and he looked at Jack with a puzzled air. ** I might not have lost my life,” he said, at length. ** But you stood a very good chance of it, for you might be sure we are neither of us the right sort to give in easily, and we should have made a point of shooting yon, if we shot no one else.” Oh! should you?” ** Certainly we should, because we should consider that Wild’s men were doing only what they were told, and what they conceived to be their duty, while you travelled out of your way to aid them.” The landlord made no reply to this. Jack continued. “Now there is another view of the case which you ought to have taken before you agreed to side with Wild’s men. I have put it as being all fair and straightforward. Now we will just suppose that you had succeeded in cap- turing us, and had not lost your life. In fact, that all had gone on in the most satisfactory manner conceivable, which is not very likely. Still, we will suppose it. Now, do you think that Wild’s men would have troubled them- selves about your having your share of the reward? Of course they wouldn’t. You know, as well as I do, that the first thing they would set about doing would be how to cheat you out of your due, so as to have all the money among themselves.” **T never looked at it in that light,” said the landlord. **T know you didn’t, and that is why Iam putting tho case to you. But you ought to have done before you em- barked yourself in such a perilous undertaking. You ought to have considered the matter over.” ** T wanted the money.” ** And you are sure that was the sole motive?” ** Quite sure.” ‘Then, you just look here. Suppose now youhad come up to us and said Wild’s men are downstairs and want you. Now, if I tell them you are here, all I shall get if they catch you is twenty-five pounds. Now, how much will you give me if 1 show you how to make your escape ? Lhe landlord had been a good deal startled by what Jack had said to him, but this last supposition thoroughly astonished him. “Tama dolt—an ass—a blockhead—that’s what I am. | In tact, I’m more, for J am a d—d fool.” “Just so. That is what I thought, but I hardly liked to say it.”’ ** Well, then, I say it again mysclf. I ama d—d fool.” **You think it would have answered your purpose best to have tried to make terms with us?” * Of course | do.” _ “You might depend we shonld be willing to give a great deal more than twenty-five pounds if we were allowed to get off. Now, don’t you think we should ?P Think ? Iam sure you would.” *‘ And so you see, not only would you have got more money, but you would have run no risk of your hie what- comicooolkks (SO) 5}