Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 142: what you’re looking at

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¥ a _ ti. - 144 SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. my kindness to her. She eat such a lot she quite beggared me, and the money would not pay for a ‘quarter of it. I'll never be generous again—never, never !” “Jack looked upon the old man with contempt, if not positive loathing. ‘““ How debased must his heart be,” he said, “when: he could sell all his hopes of salvation for a few paltry pounds, when to possess that which is justly yours he could immure you in a living tomb. Old man, for shame, for shame! Already have you one foot in the erave. Can you take your gold there with you? Better will it be for you if you turn your thoughts to that God who alone has power to save, and not to that only g cod you have ever worshipped— gold.” Then, turning to Martha, he said— “T fear to leave you, lest the old rascal seek some other means of securing the gold for him- self; and yet to remain here is fraught with danger to me, for I can hear footsteps coming this. way. “ Fly, then ; do not endanger your own safety - for me,’’ said the woman, quickly and anxiously. “T should never forgive myself did you suffer for your kindness to me.’ Zs I must see you : beyond the reach of this man.’ “ He cannot follow me now,’ And she pointed to the se ae traces and the eroaning form of Blodger. : “ Whither will you go?” es 1 will seek an aos in Lambeth for the present.” “Then go at once, for in a few minutes this man will be found, and you must not be seen here.” “And you?” ‘“‘ Oh, never fear for me. Do not stay. Aers) ! We shall soon meet again.” — He held, up his hand to check her further utterance, and she sped away over the bridge in the opposite direction to the coming foot- steps. The miser stretched out his hand as if he would stay her progress, then reeled and fell backwards in the cart. CHAPTER L. A FRACAS ON THE BRIDGE—MR. BRISTLES AGAIN. ‘¢ Haxwto !’ What’s up?” Such was the exclamation which caused our hero to turn from watching the fleeing figure of ' Martha Scrivener. | . ‘Two young men, belonging to that class vul- / garly denominated “ swells” by some, and “men about town” by others, were squinting through their eye-glasses at the recumbent figure of Mr. Blodger, as that worthy writhed in agony upon the cold stones of the bridge. Jack mace no reply. A contemptuous curl of the lip, however, be- spoke the esteem in which he held the gentlemen just arrived upon the scene. As the sound of their voices reached his ear, he quickly slipped the mask from his face and . = ow OD OT eee eee ei ee ee ee et a lt i 7 ree o_O > = —_—-_-_-—- aS - - lc ll D temptuous manner, and after measuring him Nite placed it in his pocket, so that when he turnédy j towards them there was nothing striking in his | \ appearance. al ‘ Demme! I thay, Thir William, there’s been A an accident. Thome common fellow hath been | flung out of hith vehicle. I thaid there'd | been. an accident, and thure enough there | at 9 *. or ‘“‘'Yeth, my noble friend, these rough fellows —the poorer clathes of humanity—are tho wewy | wild, tho inconthithtent in their way, that I am often thurprithed they do not thuffer more for | their daring. - P’raps the fellow thought that 1 his miserable stheed wath to be compared with ‘tee the noble animals kept by uth gentlemen, an le only found out hith mithtake when he was flung ap from hith dirty vehicle. But it will teach him a / lethon, perhaps, not to think themselves or their horthes equal to the better clathes of thociety. Come away, my noble friend. It pains me to © a hear hith groans, tho awfully rough ith the | — tones of hith voith. a ** Thall we help him up, Thir William ?” asked ; the other, “It would thoil my lavender kids. I could not touch such a rough, ill-manneredly perthon.” if a “ Thall we call the attention of the polith to — the affair ?” th “You had better not,” said Jack, suddenly ah and sneeringly. b The man turned, looked at Jack in a con- “ha ’ j) from head to foot, said— ‘* And why not, pray?” ‘S Why not ?”’ iterated Jack. ‘* Yeth ; why not, thir? # “Tl tell you, sir,” replied our hero. “ Te see the police have orders to kill all puppies found straying about the streets.” The man started back. r* ‘* Confuthion! ‘Thith to a gentleman of my % respectability and standing ? - Do you hear thatoee my noble friend ?” ae “ Thameful—dithgusting, the low scoundrel !” exclaimed the other. ‘‘ Thome intholent pick-— pocket, doubtleth.” And the speaker fixed his eye-rlass j in his eye ‘a : and contemptuously gazed upon our hero, : Jack coloured to the temples. Sol The insinuation pained and annoyed him _ oreatly. . se He clenched his hand and made a step for- he ward. 1 “Sir,” he exclaimed, ‘“‘do you know whom | you are ‘addressing So “Thome ignorant fellow who hath the pre- at sumption to talk to a gentleman without know- | ing how to speak to one,’ ar * You are talking to one, sit; who knows how ~ to treat a contemptible puppy,’ said J ack, “and that is, by kicking him.” And raising his foot, our hero dealt the fellowes a kick on the bottom of his back, which sent him — reeling over the prostrate body of My. Blodger. — ““Theoundrel !” cried his companion, Ta a small walking-cane threateningly. ‘* ‘Take that, * said Jack, tearing the -weapon | from his hold, ‘and giving the} fellow a smart rap — across his knuckles with it, which made him cut | a comical caper in the roadway. | ¥ f Bias , i. | Wile? - Y mi - (A _ ue a ' ‘ di =| _ “ “Ps ‘ ———— a een * | 900 Nic (e(e)