Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN ce, Jonathan Wild. Our acquaiutance has been short, but quite long enough.” “ Are you going, Jack ?” “Tam,” he replied, going towards the door. No, don’t, Jack, for my sake. Pray stay. Ha! ha!” * Jonathan Wild had a strange habit of laughing on the most unmirthful occasions, or at all events when u0 one but himself could see anything to laugh at. Jack Sheppard put his hand on the lock of the door. At the same moment, though he did not perceive it, Jonathan Wild pressed upon a spring, which comman!- cated with a bell in the lower portiou of his domicile. ‘One minute more, Jack,” he said. “ Let us, if we are going to part over this matter, part friends. Full up your glass once more. I am very sorry I am goimg to lose you over a booby of a girl.” Jack did not know Wild yet, or he would have known that when he spoke gently he was most to be dreaded. He saw nothing sinister in the fact of his asking him to drink, and besides, he was blinded = little with self- conceit. Almost, however, before he could reach the tuble, the door of the room was thrown open and one of Wild’s men entered the room. ‘“‘ Secure him!’ cried the thief-taker, with sudden ve- hemency, “secure him!” Jack turned round with the rapidity of lightning, but he was too late; the men had already grasped him tightly from behind. In vain he struggled to free himself. They were used to that sort of thing, and his struggles seemed to have no other effect than that of tightening the hold they had upon him. His rage at being thus outwitted lent him double strength, too, but 1t was no use. “Curse you,” he said ; “‘ you shall repent this.”’ “Hal ha!” The laugh was even shorter and more disagreeable than usual. “To the cells with him,” he cried; ‘“‘drag him along, T will follow you.” Tn obedience to his commands the two men began to drag Jack towards the door, but this they fouud rather more difficult than holding bim. ‘“ Be quiet, fool,” cried Wild. ‘*Can’t you see it is use- less to attempt to get away. Drop it, or it will be the worse for you.” But Jack heeded not his words, he was furious at the thought that he should thus be made a prisoner. Jonathan Wild took up his cudgel from the corner by the fire-place, where he had been resting. He swung it round just before Jack’s face, who was not so blinded with passion as not to be able to see it, and understand what was meant.” He ceased his struggles. ri thought he might just as well save his sconce as Down stairs and along the gloomy passage leading to the cells he was marshalled by the two men, Jonathan Wild, with a hideous grin distorting his lips, following in the rear. Through the curious iron door, past the cell doors, to the very end of the passage, they went, as Wild had done on the occasion of his visit to Sir Marmadake. The secret door in the wall—a secret to all those who were not in the confidence of the great thief-taker—was opened, and they entered the gloomy corridor beyond. The very next cell to that in which languished the un- fortunate baronet, was the one destined to be the abiding- place of Jack. The door grated back upon its hinges, and Jack was rudely thrust over the threshold. They did not think it necessary to bind him in any way. They relied upon the strength of the dungeon itself pro- cluding all possibility of escape. Jack, who was unaware that the flooring of the cel] was some two feet lower than that of the passage, feil heavily upon his face when he was thrust in. Jonathan himself held the door almost shut, and through the crevice peeped into the cel. “Ha! ha! Jack, my boy. Howac you feel now? slow do you like your new quarters? I fell you what it is: here you will have to stay until you choose to tell me where I know who is. You will, indeed. Ha! ha!” “EDD Renee ec eeng ener otew ra } resist the temptation to barter away my estates for A Sa ies ~ ei See a ee ee ee eR, ; A ROMANCE, 55 To this speech Jack Sheppard deigned no other reply han a howl of rage. Bang went the door of the cell, and then Wild set about securing it. He first turned a Then he shot two enormous iron bolts into their sockets. F And lastly put a thick oaken bar crossways over the oor. It was secure enough in all conscience one would think. Jonathan seomed to think so, for he turned from it with an air that said as plainly as possible— “ Get out of that if you can.” key in the lock. CHAPTER XXXVIT1. SIR MARMADUKE HEARS A MYSTERIOUS VOICE, WHICH ADVISES HIM NOT TO SIGN THE DEED. “Ya—anu!” cried Wild, as he turned round and faced the two men who had brought Jack to the dungeon, ‘¢ Ya—ah! what are you waiting for? Boe off with you, I say, be off.”’ Upon hearing these words the two officers vanished with a celerity that seemed really marvellous. Before he could have counted ten Jonathan Wild was completely alone. The silence of the very grave was around him. ‘¢ Shall I go now,” he muttered, “or is it too soon after my former visit? I am here now, though, and I think it will be as well.” From these words the reader will easily comprehen] that it was to the unfortunate baronet, Sir Marmaduk'e Osborn, that he referred, and in whose fate, it is pre- sumed, some considerable amount of interest is felt. As he spoke, Wild made his way to the door of the dungeon, and, withdrawing the fastenings, threw the door open. The faint rustling sound which would be produced by anyone slowly turning over upon straw reached his ears. “« Sir Marmaduke Osborn,” said Wild, ** I have come.” “ Begone then, villain. Begone!” * Not until I please.” “To stay here is useless. Thank Heaven I was able my liberty. Hence, I say! I will never sign the deed.” *¢’'Your’s is a brave spint.” ; ‘*Mocker! May the bitterest and most withering nurse of a wife—a mother—and children, cling to you nom and through all eternity! Curse you! Curse yon, say | Jonathan shook a little. Superstition formed no inconsiderable element in Wild's mental composition, and he could not hear unmoved the just imprecations of the man he had so foully injured. But he quickly recovered himself. Silence!” he yelled. ‘“ You had best be so, or I may adopt means of enforcing it which you will find more effective than pleasant. Silence, I say!” Jonathan jumped down into the cell ag he spoke. He held the lamp which he carried in such a position that its rays fell with the greatest force upon the baronet. This unfortunate object of Wild’s avarice was extended at full length upen the straw. When he spoke he had raised himself a little on one arm, but upon the approach of his arch enemy, he sunk down to a recumbent position. The rays from Jonathan’s lamp dazzled him. ‘Get up,” cried the thief-taker. you hear P”’ “‘T do hear, and I comply,” said the prisoner, as he sat up; “but I do so merely to escape your brutality, for | know you are cowardly enough to maltreat me, weak and defenceless as I am.” Wild growled out some half-articulate reply, and “hen he said— “T told you yesterday I should visit you to-day, and Quite funny “Get up, I say. Do you see, ha! ha! I am as good as my word. that. Why don’t you laugh, Sir Marmaduke P Youhave | peer. expecting me, have you not ?’ -) here was something grotesquely horrible about *Vild’s mocking tones. The prisoner was silent. Jonathan continued. ‘*T hope,” he said, “you have come to the determina: § aR we NS Sere LIT reget nu (S(O) NG (0) CG S (SO) 5}