Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

120 - “Of course nol; shows you never meant to pay for it,” sneered the man. ~**T never wished to become its possessor,’ ’ said the woman, moving away. The fellow caught her thin shawl to stay her, and tore it. Here, hold on!” he said. “ If you don’t buy, Ik mM spoil you as you have spoiled this.” Let me go,sir! Howdare you insult me in this way !”’ ‘cried the woman. “Oh, you mean to come that dodge, do you ?” said the man: ; “but it won’t do with this chap. Now, shell out threepence for thezplaice, or Pll show you up, I will.” “T’ve not got threepence in the world. Tm now going to see if I can sell my shoes for an old pair and a few pence to get bread with.” “Qh, you're a no-fly bird. Up to that dodge, and—but shell out,"or there'll be a shine, I can tell you—threepence : and it’s cheap at that. Threepence, I say, or a showing up!” _“* For heaven’s sake suffer me to go my way without further molestation !” said the woman. p And once more she essayed to move along. the pathway. _ But the rough fellow’s grasp detained her. _* Are you going to fork out ?” ‘* T cannot—indeed I cannot.” - “ All right, then,” said the fellow, savagely, holding her shawl by his left hand and the fish up above his head by the right, and raising his voice to a loud pitch, he added— ce Hi! hi! {?? This exclamation caused the keepers of the neighbouring stalls and several tradesmen to _ look in the direction of the gruff tones of the costermonger, “Hi! look out for your goods and your pockets,” he cried. ‘ She’s just been trying it on with a plaice. Show her up as she goes along, and mind she don’t have you.’ “Slap it in her face, Bill,” called out the keeper of a cheesemonger’s shop, directly in front of the stall, ‘“‘ Here goes,” said the fellow, thus encour- aged by one who forgot he was, at least in form if not in soul,aman. — The fellow was about to sik the poor woman with the wet and unsavoury fish when his arm was caught in its descent, and the fingers of a tall, cloaked fivure pressed into its flesh with a vice-like” grip, and the tones of a man’s voice hissed in his ear— ‘““ Contemptible coward!” | . The costermonger was about to retort to this in language of a forcible if not refined character, when the fish was torn from his grasp, and the words on his lips were stifled in the loud slap across the lower portion of his face which he received with the finny article of consumption. A moment the fellow stood cowed and terror- stricken, but the next he shouted— cS What did you do that for? Ill show ou ”’—— “ And I'll that’s what I’ll do to such a mean-spirited, contemptible cur,” said the other, striking him a couple more blows in the face with the fish, much to the astonishment of him- self, the woman, and three or four persons who surrounded them. “You ~ BAIA would JA BT SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. witnessed the discomfiture of the costermonger you dare insult a woman by raising your hand : against her ?”” 7 , wee) “( She’s a prig.”’ Bacal “< Tt’s false,” cried the woman. , ‘“‘ Tf she were; it is not for you to take the law into your own hands.” “She wanted to steal the “tes ” cried the man, thoroughly cowed by the blows and the indionant bearing of his assailant. _ . ‘¢ Oh! sir,’ cried the woman, turning to her protector, “T assure you I had no such inten- tion.’’ » ‘‘ Yes, you did; pals,”’ cried the man. A, Scoundr el!” exclaimed the gentleman. “ No, I ain’t,” said the fellow.. “I sell my things ‘and buy ‘em, too—not steal ‘em, like other people.” | “ Hark you, fellow,” said. the other. “If this: woman had attempted to rob you of your wares, there are proper tribunals to place her before. But I do not believe she had any such intention, and you are a ae pal ye fellow to els to strike her.” . | “ T will, too.” ‘No, you will not, for here is an arm that. will beat you to a jelly if you dare to raise a : finger against her.” eee “Oh! you’re her bully, are you 2?” ih ‘‘No! but, I am aman who will not hesitate | to punish one. Now,.my good woman, =o your: way. He shall not molest you further.” .~ “Shan’t 1?” c¢ No! yp? . ‘We'll see about that,” oaed the fallow. “ Hit here,, mates; we can soon put down this swell, can’t we ?” “Not so quickly as I will put. you down,” ) exclaimed the other, releasing his hold of the man’s arm, and striking him a terrific blow i in the face with the fish... | ‘‘Oh!” roared the fellow. “Qh!” echoed the ‘cheesemonger, slay up his hands in dismay. | The blow had been dealt wath such force, 1 that the fish-dealer was knocked backwards by it, and fell fair into a chest of eggs. beneath the window of the shop of the man who had sug- gested that’ the woman should have the fish thrust in her face. : | _ A loud shout of laughter, mingled with the crash of broken. egos, from the bystanders, who and he’ s only one of your . 4 on Vv e and butterman, and a cry of recognition broke from the woman’s lips, as Jack, turning his face so as to permit the lig ht from the shop to fall upon it, looked down u inn the bully at his feet. ‘That ery caused Jack to note well the woman’s features, and he knew her to be the same whom he had met in the cold doorway, starving and homeless, and whose miserly uncle he had forced to give up the document which established her claim to a thousand pounds, \ He had searched for her in vain for some } time past, and had given up the task as hopeless. He could scarcely help giving utterance to an exclamation of surprise and joy at this strange meeting, but he did stifle it, and made a motion for her not to speak just then. “My eggs—my eggs—a whole chest broken,” | olele) G Se com