Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

_ 0 TT TT - 7 relief, and sighed heavily when she remembered the bottle was empty. “Oh! TI shall be ruined—undone—trans- ported—hung, or something worse. Oh, why did I suffer myself to be tempted to have any- thing to do with this business. Oh, Mr. Duppy, Mr. Duppy! but for thy unfeeling heart I had never — But Ill go for a doctor. No, I won’t; I'll run away, and never come back again. No, I mustn’t do that. PII—Tll go to Grasper. Yes, I’ll go to him, and tell him to take her away. Oh, dear! what an unfortu- nate, ill-used woman I am !” Miss Frump hurried on her bonnet and shawl, frantically grasped at the leathern bottle, and left the house, forgetting, in her nervousness and anxiety, to take the key with her, in order to obtain access on her return. Through the dark road towards Grasper’s dwelling she hurried along, till she reached the corner public-house—where we have before seen her—and, diving into the side entrance, had her bottle filled, and partook of two glasses of gin in rapid succession, then darted out of the house, pale and trembling. . “Tsay, Mary, the old maid likes her gin,” said a young man, who stood smoking a cigar in the next compartment, winking at the pretty barmaid as he spoke. “ What’s that to you, Tom Bedford ?’ said the girl, with an arch smile. ‘‘ It’s the only com- fort she has got, poor thing. Perhaps 1 shall like my giu when [I get as old as her.” ke you, Mary ; you'll like me better,’ he said. “Oh! go along with you.” - Now, you know you love young Tom, and I’m sure you'll like old Tom.. You be like her, why I’d drown myself if 1 only thought you would.” ‘There, hold your tongue,” said the girl, laughing, as she turned to another portion of the bar to serve a fresh customer. : Tom Bedford strolled to the door, and looked out after Miss Frump, and, to his surprise, per- ceived her going in the contrary direction to her own home. ‘* What’s the old girl after ?” he muttered to himself. ‘‘She seemed terribly nervous, and I could not but remark that strange trap and driver at her door to-night when Ilooked through the blind. He seemed very anxious not to be seen, as he took that large parcel out of the vehicle. I wonder what it could have been ; it was very large and heavy, but I could not make it out, J don’t know that it is any business of mine, still IT should hke to know, for, somehow or other, I don’t like that woman. But what is she going that way for at this hour ?—there’s no shops up there, and she is hurrying too much for the mere taking of a walk. Eead ! if I don’t follow her. See you before you shut up, Mary.” And the young man stepped into the street, and hurried along after Miss Frump, overtaking her just as she reached the gate of Grasper’s house, into which she turned. Her hurried walk, her anxiety, and the spirits she had imbibed, had worked the old lady up to such a pitch of excitement, that she neither saw nor heard ‘Tom as he passed at nana ear em C(t COM ECC DOOOKS a 302 SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. the gate-post; and, without hesitation, she knocked loudly at the door of the house. In an instant it was opened. ‘Mr. Grasper!” she said, in a tone which came clearly to Tom’s ears. “Not in, ma’am. Any message? Beglad to take it. ‘The gentleman has been out all the evening.” rhe. “Oh, dear!’ said Miss Frump.. “I want to see him very particular. Ain’t he been in lately ?” ‘¢ Not since seven o’clock.” “How provoking! ”’ ‘Will you leave any message ?” “ No—yes ; say that a lady called.’’ “Yes, ma’am—Miss Frump—down the street. We know, ma’am.”’ ‘* Know what?” eried the woman, quickly. “Your name, ma'am. Our little boys have pointed you out to us—that’s how we know, you see. Anything further, ma’am ? for it is very uncertain when he’ll be home.” “No, never mind! It’s nothing particular !” said Miss Frump. But her tones belied her words, and set Tom thinking. “ Good night, ma'am.” The door was closed, and Tom slunk back into the shadow of the stone-work as the old lady turned towards the street. ‘Dear, dear,” she muttered aloud, as she passed through the gateway; “ not at home, I’d better wait about to see him. I don’t know what todo. I’m afraid the girl will die if I don’t get a doctor; and then if I do, how am I to account for her being in my house. Oh, I wish I'd had nothing to do with it, and let him take her somewhere else. She’s had to much chloro- form, I’m sure she has, and I’m afraid it will be the ruin of us both. Oh, dear, I wish he'd come ; but I won’t go home without seeing him, if I wait all night. He won’t be long—I dare say he’s only gone to take the carriage home.” And the old lady paced nervously up and down before the villas. “Whew!” whistled Tom. ‘‘ There’s some- thing up, and something wrong, too, between her and Grasper. It was him I saw with the vehicle, was it? and the bundle was some girl, who has had a strong dose of chloroform. Don’t like the appearance of things, old gal’s afraid she'll die, too, from an overdose. Ill learn a little more of this business, or my name’s not Tom Bedford. Jack found a way into her house out of my window, so can I, and while she is looking out for this stern-looking, hang-gallows fellow of wu Grasper, I'll take the liberty of making myself acquainted with the interior of her domicile.” Tom let the old lady place about a dozen yards between them, and darted to the opposite side of the road, and turned towards his house, merely exciting a passing glance from the lady as she looked over at the sound of his footfall. Arriving at his dwelling, Tom let himself in with his Tatelikey. and locking his bed-roora door, so that the people in the house might imagine he had retired to bed, softly raised the window and got out, as Jack had done before him, into the out-building. Drawing himself up, he looked in at the | (@)