Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

—— AL A A OS ce ee Aq 3PRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. lieved, in that of a fiend; and he likewise knew that it was the same individual who had rescued the poor ballet-girl from his insulting 1mportu- nities. Neither spoke for several seconds. _ Jack’s eyes wandered from the surprised face of the libertine to the insensible form of poor Jessie, then, raising his hand, and pointing to the girl, and said— “ What were you about to do ?’ ‘¢ She had fainted, and I—I was endeavouring to revive her,” he stammered out in reply. “You use strange restoratives for such a pur- pose,” sneered Jack. As he spoke he pointed to the knife which had fallen from Richard’s hand. The pale cheek flushed crimson, and the eye fell before the steady stare of the intruder. “TI was about to cut the lacings of her bodice.” “ Indeed !” ~ Wiese” “« And had the blade penetrated her bosom, of course it would have been an accident,” said Jack in an insinuating tone, his eyes glistening fiercely through his mask and causing Richard Clavering to shrink within himself. Then by an effort the young man drew himself up, and in a haughty tcne he cried— “Who are you, sir ?” ‘““ A man,” was the shortreply. ‘‘ Can you say as much ?” ‘How dare you presume to enter my house unbidden ?” cried Richard. ‘‘ Are you a thief ?”’ “No, sir, [am not,” replied Jack, indignantly, “but I regret to say you are.” The young man clenched his hands and sprang forward. ‘* Villain, dare you force an entrance into my house and talk thus to me ?” “Indeed I dare.” ve* T will have you hurled from the place or con- yed to the lock-up,” angrily cried Richard. “Richard Clavering, you will do neither the one nor the other,”’ retorted Jack “ T shall not?” ce No.”’ ‘¢ Who shall prevent me?” SLE begs 6 You?” «© Yes, me.” ‘“< We shall see,” cried Richard, foaming with Passion, and, springing across the apartment to the fireplace, seized the red-silken bell pulls. ‘¢ T will have you kicked from the house like a dog by my servants !” he exclaimed. ‘Richard Clavering, take your hand from that string.” There was something in the tones of Jack that caused the libertine to pause ere he summoned his servants. Something that told him to beware of how he treated Jack. With his hand still resting on the cord, he turned to our hero. “Then begone!” he cried ; once !” ‘ Pardon me, Mr. Clavering ; you see I know ou—but I command here while I remain,” 6‘ Vou?” ‘“‘begone at Do ~ “‘t. * - ‘Yes, me, and you will do well to obey. you understand the word ?” ! ¢é No.” ‘‘ Then I must teach you.” “ Teach me?” «¢ Aye.” ‘© Who are you?” ‘¢ Spring-heeled Jack.” “ T thought as much.” ‘“‘ Now, be pleased to remove your haud from that cord.” ‘‘T will do nothing of the kind at the bidding of a fellow who dare not show his face.” ‘“< Dare not?” ‘“¢ Ay, dare not.” “Richard Clavering, you indignantly. And placing his hand to his mask he tore it from his face. The young man started, and dropped the cord from his grasp. ‘<The devil !—the mar—” “Silence!” cried Jack. know me.” ‘“* You here.” ‘* You see I am.” “What brought you hither?—what do you seek ?—why do you come?” asked the young man, hurriedly. " lie!” cried Jack, ‘ Suffice it that you ‘“‘ Firstly, to upbraid you for your rascally — conduct to that poor girl in the streets to-night ; secondly, because | was summoned hither by her cries,’ and he pointed to the still insensible Jessie. ‘“ The first reason I cannot understand,” “ You cannot ?” | ‘* No ; not when it is yours.” “¢ Why not?” _ “ Because you are not the man whe can boast of over much honour.” -*€ When did I ever stain it ?” asked Jack. . ‘The man who can descend to the pranks which you have lately been playing ’’—— ‘* Psha! I seek not to defile the young and beautiful. women.” ‘“ Bah! what would life be worth if we could not enjoy it? You enjoy it your fashion, I in mine.’ . ‘To embitter the existence of another is but sorry enjoyment, Richard Clavering.” ; ‘‘ ‘Lo frighten people to death is but sorry plea-- sure,’ retorted the other. ‘* To the mar—”——— Jack held up his hand deprecatingly. : ‘To him I might have felt disposed to listen when he preached morality, but to Spring-heeled Jack—bah! If I have sunk in your estimation, truly you have sunk in mine; if my pleasure merits your contempt, yours likewise merits mine.” ‘““T have much, no doubt, to be ashamed of and sorry for,” said Jack. ‘‘ I may frighten a woman or startle a man, but I neither seek to destroy the one body and soul, or rob the other by means of loaded dice.” ‘ Ah!” cried Richard, paling to an ashy hue, and staggering backwards, till the wall per- mitted him to go no further, ‘ You—you then ’’——— ‘‘ Have overheard your character, as I stood beneath that window,” comicbooks.co I stoop not to insult defenceless 2 a