Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

esate leat a A a ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 276 tell me I must affix my name to this document, Sir Ranulph Gayton.” The baronet acquiesced. “To do so, I must have a pen.” “There are writing materials before you.” “T perceive them. I perceive, also, ——’’ What ?” “ Pistols !”? exclaimed Violet, ‘ with which I swear to fire upon the first man who attempts to hinder my departure from this infamous house.” - Before he was aware of it, Sir Ranulph found himself opposed to a brace of pistols primed and loaded to the mouth. They were those he had inadvertently placed upon the table at his entrance into the chamber. CHAPTER CXXII, MIDNIGHT VISITORS—THE FLIGHT OF VIOLET TREMAINE FROM HER PERSECUTORS—A MASKED LANTERN SOMETIMES OF ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN THE DARK—THE OPEN PANEL AND THE SECRET PASSAGE—JACK SHEPPARD ARRIVES MOST OP- PORTUNELY — HIS DARING ESCAPE AFTER A RESCUE. THE triumph of Violet Tremaine was but short lived, It was soon evident to her enemy that the shock had been too much for her, and that nature was sinking fast. Suddenly she became so faint that she could scarcely move. He cheek was deadly pale. Her hand nerveless, allowing her to be easily disarmed, Sir Ranulph Gayton had no sooner got possession of the weapons which had well nigh marred his well-conceived plot, than he fired them both throuzh the window as a signal to his followers. In answer to the summons, Poll Maggot was the first to enter the chamber. She was followed by two men wrapped in sable cloaks, These individuals were further disguised by hoods fashioned like the cowl of a monk, drawn down over their grim features. The bostess then advanced a few paces and whis- pered some inandible sentence in the ear of Sir Ranulph Gayton, He nodded his head in token of obedienee, then hastily quitted the chamber in company with his confidant. The baronet and Poll Maggot had no sooner left Violet with her mysterious guardians than they threw off the habiliments that concealed them and appeared in their real characters of Jack Sheppard and the hero of our tale. As may be readily supposed, both had been ad- mitted into the house by the connivance of its wily mistress, who had accepted the bribe that_Violet had offered, anticipating one that she was to receive from Roving Jack, “ T don’t know how it is, Sir John,” said Jack Sheppard, in a low voice, “ but I’ve a strange fore- boding that ill will come of our adventure here to- night.”’ *‘ Surely, now that it is on the point of being crowned with success, your heart don’t fail you?” replied our hero, “ No; but I'm afraid of treachery,” “Treachery, how so? You don’t suppose Poll Maggot is going to betray us?”’ “No ; but I can’t help thinking that we are trusting to a frailreed—a woman once jilted, takes strange fancies into her head, and—” ‘‘T have often thought that the fair sex would be your ruin, Jack ; depend upon it the man that lavishes favours on all can trust none.” The attention of the speaker was now attracted to Violet Tremaine. She was still on the ground, but had raised her- self to a sitting posture. She appeared in silent contemplation with her hand supporting her chin, While a fixed and solemn glare, like one in insanity, started from her eye. Our hero addressed her, but she did not answer him, Terror it seemed had taken away the power of utterance, In a short time the reverie of Violet ended. She heaved a heavy sigh, and gazed vacantly around her. In doing so, her eye rested on Jack Sheppard, who had advanced in the place of our hero, “ Why am I disturbed at this late hour?” she cried, wildly addressing the highwayman. “ Why am J aroused from quiet sleep and sunny dreams, where thought flowed on as silver sheeted water over sand of gold,” “T am a friend,’ answered Jack Sheppard, kindly. “ A friend ?”” “ Yes; and am hereto shelter you from a dark- ening storm, whose fury threatens to overwhelm ou,”’ eG You are not what you seem.” “ So it may appear, lady ; but still you may trust me. I come to offer you means of flight.”’ ‘‘T cannot accept them,” replied Violet, wander- ing and abstracted. “I must not leave him—he has enemies abroad’”’ “‘ Poor thing,” said Jack Sheppard, “ grief must have brought this upon her.” Then resuming, he muttered in the ear of the listener, “ Tf you do not fly with me, your life, entangled as it is by circumstances, must be lost.” While Violet was yet hesitating, our hero had arrived at her side, The sudden effect produced by his appearance was truly marvellous. The maiden passed her hand across her brow, and gazed upon him in amazement and doubt, With a look as if her life depended on the ques- tion, she asked in an underbreath, “Ts it really you?” “ Tt is your beloved,” said Roving Jack. While uttering the words, he received Violet in his arms, Suddenly a momentary emotion was awakened in his bosom, and regarding her features with a feeling more akin to pity than to admiration, he exclaimed, “‘T had forgotton. You areno longer mine.” “No longer yours?” echoed Violet, not more surprised at his words than his change of manner, “ Yes,’ continued Roving Jack, casting down his eyes, as if to avert them from her gaze, “ are you not another’s wife ?”’ ‘‘ No—nor ever will.”’ “ Hold—do not add falsehood to perfidy !” ‘‘ Heavens ! can you believe me untrue?” ‘ You cannot, Violet, deny that, unmindful of your sex and reputation, you quitted my roof at night with Sir Ranulph Gayton,” ‘Why I did so was to seek you.” “ To seek me?’’ rejoined Roving Jack, who began COMNMMUCLIOO KS aE end