Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

ssasSSe errr e eee ee ne nee anne eins a eee —— € tee ene Sic we eee ts sowed a eer SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. *€T have, indeed.” “Then make me your confidant. Believe me, I will not abuse it ; and tell me how you became so reduced as to be compelled to labour for a pittance scarcely sufficient to keep soul and body together. But I forget you are robed in gar- ments saturated, and will catch a cold that may be fatal to you.” . And you?” “Oh! never mind me, I will soon change mine. Suffer me to remove you to your lodgings, and to-morrow I will wait upon you.” ‘Ellen shuddered. | “Alas!” she answered, “‘I fear to return there” | “Wherefore?* . | “JT dread the fary of that dissipated and law- less man.” : “You need have no fear of him.” ‘Oh! sir, you know him not.” Indeed, I do... I know him to be a heartless cur, who will not dare ever to molest you again,” said Jack. Ellen shook her head. | “TY have given him such a fright to-night, that he will never attempt to molest or annoy you again,” said Jack. “ He has promised, nay, sworn, not to do so, and his cowardly nature will make him keep this oath, at least, if you never divulze to him the circumstance that if was I who stood before him. He believed me to be the devil himself, and such abject terror did I strike to his soul, that he will never more, by word or deed, annoy you. J would advise your return thither till you have recovered, and then some other and more decent place must be found ou.” « | Ellen replied only with a grateful look. ““T have no doubt one of the seamen will take us ashore in a boat, when [ will procure a vehicle to convey you home, for to remain long thus without a change of garments is only to court that fate which, I thank Heaven, I have been instrumental in saving you from. Say, shall I call them hither ? ” | “Tf you will; though I care not for life.” “Come, come; talk not thus,’ said Jack. “To-morrow you will think differently.” _“ To-morrow I shall have to face a cruel and remorseless employer,” said Hllen; ‘‘one who will have no pity—one who will demand his goods, or ” She paused, and burst ito tears. “Or what?” . “Have me conveyed to a prison,” she replied. Jack became thoughtful. He knew the goods were taken to the vault by Joe Filcher ; but was there any prospect of their remaining there? He doubted it much; for he expected that the vault would be searched at daylight, if not be-~ fore, and he did not think it policy to go near it again just yet. So he gave up all idea of being able to restore the goods entrusted to Ellen to make up; but then he knew he could give her their value to hand over to the Jew clothier. So Jack bade her be of good cheer, and suc- ceeded in calming her apprebensions in that ——. wee ee ee 95 quarter, and, going to the cabin door, called to Jerry and his messmate. An arrangement was soon made with Peter to take them ashore in the ship’s boat ; and after each partaking of a little grog, Ellen was placed in the boat, and landed in safety at the Tower stairs. Jack persisted in wrapping his large cloak around her shivering form, and having procured a vehicle, ordered the driver to set them down at the corner of the street in which the house of Bill Jackson was situated. This was done ; and in a short time Jack and his charge stood before the door with the greasy cord and dirty panels. va There was no one about, and the street was very dark now, for the Pigeon Flyers was closed, and had been for some hours. ‘“ Will you be able to obtain an entrance with- out being seen ?’’ asked Jack. “ Oh, yes,” she replied, “ by pulling the string: There is no fastening on the door save the latch.”. Jack took her hand in-his, and fixing his eyes upon her face, he whispered— ‘* Dare I leave you—dare I believe you will not meditate such another crime again ?” ‘You may,” she said. “I pledge you my word, you may.” | “Knough! I will believe you. To-morrow I will seek you in your wretched home, when I hope to be enabled to better your circumstances, and save you from a life of misery and want. Farewell!” He turned to leave her to enter the house, wien she sprang towards him, aud catching his hand in her own, raised it to her lips. “ God. bless you !” she cried. ) Then dropping his hand quickly, as if she felt she had gone too far, she seized the greasy cord, silently opened the door, and glided into the dark passage. | Jack remained till the door closed behind her, and shut her from his view, and then he turned, with a slow step and thoughtful brow, away from the spot. | ‘It’s a strange world this,” he muttered to himself, as he went along. “A. very strarige world, aud a strange mass of people indeed it is composed of—good and bad, rich and poor. To some it goes merrily as a marriage-bell, to others a death-knell is borne upon every moment of time as it passes on to eternity. What a record it would make could the lives and doings of every soul within it be chronicled !--astupendous one jndeed ! of hopes and joys, miseries and sorrows, want and plenty; good andevil, There weshould read wealth and plenty allied to sin, shame, and degradation ; poverty and want to honour, truth, and integrity ; sin rewarded by affluence, honesty by poverty. Fools and rogues in gilded cham- bers, wisdom and talent in a wretched hovel. ‘Tis strange, but true; has been for years and will be for years to come—a strange world, truly ! But I forget my garments are soaked, and that a chill is striking to my very bones,” he added, increasing his speed, and hurrying towards the west, Ashe turned quiekly round the corner of the dark street, he ran against what appeared to him to be a large bundle of dirty clothes, but which | i a YO