Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 255 This man was Jonathan Wild. At the sight of the thief-taker, Jael sank, and remained motionless upon the ground. It is now necessary to describe the habitation before which the gipsy girl had fallen, It was called “Percy House,”’ and stood at the ferry of Stangate, near the present site of Astley’s Theatre. Tradition had assigned it as the rendezvous of Guy Fawkes and the place where he and his fellow arch conspirators had stowed away the gunpowder intended to be used for the destruction of the King and Parliament of England on the 5th of November, 1605. Tt was a mean-looking dwelling standing at a short distance from the river side, and its secluded situation and miserable aspect seldom induced any traveller to visit it, On one side was a deep, muddy sluice communi- cating with the Thames. On the other the ancient ferry established by the abbots of Westminster to pasa from their monastery to the prelate’s residence on the opposite shore. Within, it posscssed but slight accommodation, and only numbered four apartments. One of the best of these was assigned to Jael, and to which, in a state of delirium, she was con- ducted by Jonathan Wild and Dick Turpin. She remained unconscious for two hours. In her retreat she was paid every attention that circumstances would permit. At first she seemed rapidly sinking, and that the shock had been too much for her; but at length, haying fallen into a placid slumber, she seemed to breathe more freely, and partially to recover her strength. ’ On awaking she discovered herself stretched upon a pallet. Jonathan Wild was standing by. They were alone. As the maiden recognised the malicious man she strove to release herself by escaping from a window. She writhed in despair, made many a bound of agony, but the thief-taker held her with seeming supernatural force. His grip was as efficient as a ring of iron, and | his sinister laugh rang in her ears, as he exclaimed, | “Not so fast, girl; we have had some difficulty — in securing you, and cannot suffer you again to — elude us,” “What harm have I done to you,” replied Jael, ‘that you should thus persecute me?” “Tam actuated, maiden, by the strongest incen- tive human nature knows—interest, I am repre- sented to the world as a monster,” “You are a villain !” “Tn that respect my character,” coolly inter- rupted Jonathan Wild, ‘‘is not original, for so are many men,” _ “Without principles.” “Your pardon, I have principles, and such, girl, as might bear improvement. Morality, from the lips of a pretty woman, comes with a better grace than scandal.” “You possess no feeling.” “That thrust I parry, since I feel the insults you are heaping upon me.” ; “You spare neither man nor woman in your hate.” _ “Stop, girl,’ said Wild ; ‘‘let me answer your accusation, then judge if I have cause to love them.” He continued his narration in the following ‘words :— “One of your sex once wronged me, That —— — ; : which made me most what I am is a branded name. “J am of illegitimate birth. “‘ My brother, and only one, was born in wedlock, “and heir by law to wealth of which I should have been part possessor. “ One night, in poverty, I dared to knock at the rich man’s door; he said he knew me not, and spurned me from his threshold. “Sickness and hunger turned shortly my home to one of desolation, and changed my wife from a comely damsel to a shadowy spectre. ‘A burning fever dried up her life blood and killed her. | “One solace yet remained—a girl, a babe, the perfect resemblance of the mother she had lost.” “Tg she, too, dead?” asked Jael, like the lamb in the fable, “To me she is so,’ replied Jonathan Wild, as he began to laugh and gnash his teeth. ‘You are one of the accursed tribe that stole her from my bosom; only think when the poor little one was asleep.” ~ As the thief-taker thus spoke he took into his hand a chain suspended round his neck. To the last link was attached the remnant of a broken cross. He placed it fervently to his lips, and gazing upon it, murmured to himself— “Memento of one beloved, let me press it to my heart! Curiously cut, no portion but that which she wore could match with the badge of re- cognition |” “Tet me look at that crucifix?” shuddering. “Gracious God !” she exclaimed, as she drew a similar one from her breast and discovered its form and devices. On seeing the counterpart of his treasure Jona- than Wild uttered a stifled yell, staggered a few steps and fell, He attempted to rise but could not. He approached Jael on his hands and knees ; seizing the ribband flowing loosely from her bosom, he compared the residne of the cross hanging to it with his own, He joined them, and the jagged edges of the golden ornament matched with each other to a hair’s breadth. He sprang once more upon his feet. His face beamed with celestial joy as he drew Jael to his arms, Trembling in every joint, and with a voice that seemed to issue from his very bowels, he cried alound— , “Tis my own child |” ‘“‘ Ave you really my father?” responded Jael, as she felt horror mounting to the very roots of her hair at the avowal. “Yes, girl, thy guilty and penitent father !” ex- claimed Jonathan Wild. “Scorn him not, for he will live to make atonement for his past errors, and drag thee and himself from the abyss of crime into which he has plunged !”’ Jael smiled in affection, and fastened her lips on his, The conscience-stricken man stood absorbed in that fond embrace. He gave no sign of life save a sigh from his oppressed bosom, and the tears which flowed from nis eyes like a passing shower. “Child, how I shall love you!” he at length cried out. “ We will leave this country, where my name is so deeply execrated ; in a foreign land we can be happy: I have money, property; it shall be be- said Jael, COMMUC OOKS nC