Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

od ous eaem 2 aes ae RE AI DG 99 ©) F191 nm aca nn fi AQAA A CEP SRE. SS OT PY AC TS A aS i DE Oa a OY . TLE SID ILE IO CNSR Ts OP TE SE a ee ec, es a a ee mar Aa tinea 540 effect. But no, Steges still lived—there are some natures extremely tenacious of life, and wk w#l,in a manner of speaking, dio a dozen deaths. So Steggs, although insensible, Uhl lived. He was no favourite with the thief-taker’s body-guara at large. He was not one of their kind. They were jealous of the confidence which Wild reposed in lim, and they disliked him accordingly. The matter, however, was talked over in the hall while Jonathan was absent on lis excursion, and, in the end, Tonks, who was really in the main not a bad-hearted fellow, volunteered to go and fetch Mr. Snoxall, and so Steggs had his wound dressed. " The apothecary, however, would not hold out the slightest hopes of his recovery. He said he might do so, but the chances were all the other way. What the effect of all this would be upon Steggs should he eventually re- cover is hard to say. He was of a vindictive, revengeful spirit, and would probably enough inflict all the injury he could upon the person who had dealt him such a terrible blow. This is a matter, however, which must be left to time for unfolding. And so, divided from each other by a space of a few yards only, were Jonathan Wild, the thicf-taker, and Steggs. At that very time, too, Edgworth Bess, in the cushioned recesses of the old pew in St. Paul’s Cathedral, was enjoy- ing a comfortable repose which would go far to recuperate her wasted energies. Jack, too, slept soundly and calmly, and Blueskin kept watch over both the sluniberers, his brain being all the while busily engaged in devising some means which would promise an eventual escape. And so the chief actors in this strange story were at this time all similarly occupicd—that is to say, wero asleep. All but one. That one was an unfortunate being who had ‘secome so changed that not even hig most intimate fniend would know him. as change, too, had taken place in a very short space of time. But the dungeons beneath Jonathan Wild’s house were of such a frightful description that a very short period of incarceration in one of them would suflice to effect a very erent change indeed. ‘We are now alluding to Lord Donmull, whom Jonathan Wild had entrapped with so much ingenuity into one of his cells. The unfortunate nobleman now saw, when it was too late, that he had been made a dupe of by the thief-taker, and that he had been made use of like a puppet. The conviction was gall and wormwood to him, and he spent his time in uttering vain curses upon his own imbecility. Then there would come times when he would feel a sudden accession of vigour, caused when he had made up his mind to escape and restore his poor persecuted niece to her possessions. This he would have done long since if Wild had per- mitted him, but such a procecding as that by no means accorded with his own plans. And now the end of it all was, his incarceration in that toathsome and pestiferous dungeon, which was so strongly Suilt that it had hitherto successfully defied all the attemps he had made to escape from it. He did not sleep. In that place it was almost impossible, and so on that night, or, rather, early morning, Lord Donmull was watchful and awake. Jonathan Wild slept very heavily. It was a deep, dreamless slumber at first. He was too thoroughly prostrated ¢> dream, but after awhile, when his fatigue abated, then bis brain. began to exercise itself. Visions of the most hornble description conceivable flitted ike a dismal phantasmagoria before his distempered brain. ae We will not pause to describe them—they would only take up unnecessary spase, and crowd the reader’s mind with unmitigated horrors. We will pass over them in silence. . More than once Jonathan groaned, as something cf a BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. more than usually awful natnre appeared to him, but stil: he did not wake. Nor did he until the fierce rays of the moraing sur pourcd full upon his countenance. Then he opened his eyes, but the sudden blaze of light almost blinded him, so he closed them again. He turned over on to his other side, so that the hurniug beams no longer played upon him. He was awake, but still he gave no signs of being so. He was thinking. He had fallen into a deep revery. Circumstances had ‘now assumed so complicated a character that a little clear-headed thought was indis- pensable. And so the thief-taker took the present opportunity as being one well suited to the purpose. His reflections ran somewhat in this strain. “What am I to think of this? In what way will it end? How is it that I, who have ever prided myself in succeeding in everything I undertook, should be so affed? How is it that thosa designs, which would be successful on any one else, are useless against Jack Shep- pard? Is there such a thing as an evil spint in human form, who dogs his unhappy victim in every enterprise he tales in hand, and frustrates it? Ihave heard some per sons before now broach such a theory. If it is correct, then assuredly does my evil spirit exhibit itself in the person of Jack Sheppard, But pho—pho! Spcculation of that kind is foolish! ** J have sworn to hang him at Tyburn, and I will keep my oath, though everything in heaven and hell should swear against—cven if I knew that I myself should perish the moment afterwards. But that shall not be. Let me think calmly, if I can, of what has taken place. I want some brandy. That would assist me vastly.” But juas then there was no brandy at hand, and the thief-take: aid not feel inclined to take the trouble to get orcall forany. The thoughts wo have set down coursed each other, one after another, through his brain, as thoughts sometimes will when one les in a state half between sleeping and waking. At such a time the body is powerless te obey the will, or rather the will is not strong cnough to exert its duc iue fluence upon the body. Jonathan continued his reflections. “Let me think. Now, when they made their escape over the wall into Newgate-market, they must have gone down Warick-lane towards Ludgate-hill, JI have proof positive that they did so. They have disappeared. Where, J should wonder, have they found a hiding-place ? ”’ This was a question that he perplexed his brain in vain to find an answer to, so at length he was obliged to give it up in despair. ** Never mind where they have concealed themselves,” he added at last, **I shall be sure to find out before long. I will consider that point as being quite settled. Now the next thing is, how shall I proceed when I get them all three once more in my power? ** Blueskin and Jack Sheppard I have already agrecd as to the disposal of. ‘The latter is now under sentence of death, so I shall have no further trouble with him, with- out it would be to swear to his identity. Then, as for Blueskin, it would be the easiest matter in the world to procure a conviction on some capital crime, and he shall swing ot Tyburn, too. How I wish that time had come, and that the bodies were swinging to and froin the morn. ing air. Then, indeed, would my troubles be over, and I should be able to carry out my plans successfully. & ‘he revenues and the broad acres which comprise the Donmull estate I have resolved shall be mine, and wheu Y resolve upon a thing it is as good as accomplished. I have made up my mind as to the means. J will lforee this Edgworth Bess, as they call he (for she is, without the shadow of a doubt, th ‘righttul heiress) into a marriage with me; and surely wnat wonid be a means at onco simple, easy, aud agreeable. Unfortunately, the girl is not of age, but she soon will be. I must get her and keep her securely until that day arrives, and then I shall be able to use such arguments that she will find it impossible to refuse me. Yea, such shall be my course. It is clear and straightforward, and the obstacles that stand in my path are comparatively few in number. : “Then there is Lord Donmull, az he calls himself. peers a EO DOO CG SS} o(CO) 5}