Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 216: what you’re looking at

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

woos Eee > Wo eee RRO SEB eee ABE © SEE 214 tt Blneskin groaned. She is not in Wild’s possession,” cried Stegra; “I feel alinnst certain of that. closely, but T have seen nothing to eause suspiciya.” © Stay now,” sid Blneskin; ‘ you are better now.” Yes, thanks to yon, mach better.” Then let us talk over matters a little, ars quietly, if In me you see the dearest friend tiat the poor | and I will do it, too; I will doit!” we can. girl, who is known best as Edgworth Bess, Gas? ** You, then, are” “No matter what; Iam called Blueskin.” * Blueskin!” cried Stegys, starting, “* then you are one of Jonathan Wild’s men ? ” © Not so; we are foes. Do you remember soma one delivered you from the eclls beneath his house ?” “}do. He was a tall und well-dcessed gentleman.” Blueskin snitled. “Tt was myself, The disguise was one whieh T had assumed for a particnlar purpose, but the uecessity for which exists no longer. 1 set you free!” “Is it possible?” “Yes; my errand there on that night was to ascertain whether Edgworth Bess aud Jack Sheppard === “Curse Lin!” “hn?” * ] say curse him!” * Jack Sheppard ?” ce Yes DB ] “Why, because if it bad not been for bim and his inter. ference, all would have been well.’ ‘* All would have been ill, you mean,’ cried Blueskin, “tor then you and your rascally employer would have triumphed in your villain.” CHAPTER CXLVITI. STEGGS AND BLUESKIN MAKE A MUTUAL COMPACT, AND BOTH RESOLVE UPON JONATHAN WILD’S DESTRUCTION. ** ForGIvVE me,”’ said Steggs, in a deprecatory, humble manner. “Forgive me. I was carried away just then by my own bad passions, and knew not what I said; but I am one who finds it very hard to put up with a blow or defeat at the hands of any one, and both of these have I experienced at the hands of Jaek Sheppard.” “* T have been already made acquainted with the history of tne past,” said Blueskin, “and can understand your breaking out wheu I mentioned Jack Sheppard, lut you will Lave te look upon him aga trieud if you ars sineere in your desire to do Edewortb Bess a service.” *“That’s it. I want, if I possibly can, to make repa. ration for the wrong [ have done ber. Whetber I shall succeed is more than [ can aay, but I shall make the aitempt.” * The best of us could do no more. Then listen to me, and I will explain that which seems strange to you. had been attacked by Jonathan Wild, and left for dead. At the same time he captured Jaek Sheppard and Edgworth Bess.” ** I remember,” said Steggs, gloomily. It was at an abbey in Gloucestershire.” “It was. I recovered from the terrible wound I had reeeived, and not wishing Jonathan to know that I was still in lite, disguised myself in the manner you saw.” “In the eells ?” “Yes. Of course, knowing that beth Sheppard and Edgworth Bess ad been captured by Wild, I made sure of finding them beneath the cells in his house. So I watched him out, and then made a violent entry into the house, gained the cells, threw open the doors of every one, released you and another, but found not those wkom I bad come to seek. How we got out, and the rest, you “T do.” ““ At my command, we geparated ; and now, kaving told you su far, explain to me by what chance you became a prisoner. I thought you were friendly to Lord Doumull’s tnterest.” *€ And eo I waa.” “Then why were you confined P” ‘“* Cannot you guess?” *ST do not know enough. Twill tel you, then. Jonathan Wild wisned to get tis lordship wholly in his power, and was jealous of mo.” ‘¢ T remember. ET Ce, a ad el SS eT ER SSS GSAS SSS | et | a Sy SSS SSNS cl> a TT I ae ma ai paca EE = ] hive wuteled lis Louse) Domnall with false dou FE SS a a a a a a emai BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. wee, ¢ [ see,” ** Sa he took eueantoge of me, poisoned the ear of Lord tgabout me, and, in the en, °° was ciptured by his myrmidons, and lodged in the gloomy and pestiferans dungeon in whieh vou found me.” "Then you are no friend of Wild's?” “Friend! Hal hal E shonld like to cut his throat, _ “ Bo not excite yeurself.. You will do yourself a serious injiry if you do. It seems to m2 quite clear that our enenuies—and by four’ [ nican myself, Jack Sheppard, and Edgworth [}ess—ure yours; and so, surely, we ought to work together. But we will leave thut for the present. Tell me what beeame of you after your release.” “I can do so in a very few words, but I ought first to tell you that 1 have been, in times buek, a bud and evil tnan—loving wickeduess for its own sake; so when Wil- hams, who ha.l been an old comrade of mine, sent for me when on Ins dving bed, and related the story about the hewess of the Donmaull estates, whieh | daresay you know, J protiaed him that J would da all I could to pro- eure her tliat ot whieh she had been deprrved.” * Instead of whieh” *“inste:d of which, as soon ae I left the ehamber of death, | Legan to turn the matter over in my mind, and consider how | could turn it tothe best advautage. My jndgmeut deceived me. J thought the best bargain i could make ~puld be to go to the nobleman who already bad possess-on of the estates, and tuke part with him. did so. The result, I need uot tell you, for you know i already. i have heen justly punished.” “* You have,’ said Blueskin, ‘* but’’~— “Que moment. I have not said vow that which | intended. While in the solitude of the cell in which Jonathan had placed me, I had ample opportunities of thinking over the past. I repented, but repentance camo too late. Nevertheless, when you set me free, I was an altered man. From that moment I looked upon Wild as my enemy; as for Lord Doumull, I scarcely consider bim, in the state in which I last saw him, worthy of the enmity of any ope!” “He ig a villain,’ said Blueskin, “and has acted hke one, and I will take good care be does not escape the peralty due to Lis deeds.” ** But it is Wild,” said Steggs, fiercely. “I hate him, and I will have his hfe! But you see to what Iam reduced. When you saw me, I was literally dying of starvation.” “TI lave saved you, then, and if you are sincere in what you have just said, we shall be friends in future. We ought to both work together.” ‘Our ends are the same.” “They are. The one purpose of my life is to restore poor Edgworth Bess to ber rights, and if you will lend me your assistance, 1 do not doubt we shall both succeed. As tor Jonathan, we Lave one or two little scores to wipe off.” “Tell me what I ean do,” said Steggs. “Show me how I can serve you and the heiress, and how I can obtain my revenge upon Wild.” “We must consider the matter over. Itis oae whieb eannot be decided upon in a moment. I have myself sworn to bring Jonathan Wild to the scaffold, and I will do it, even though I had to perish with him!” ** I, too, have made the same oath,” said Steggs, with increasing energy, “‘and surely, between the two of us, it will be kept.” “Tt will on my part. But leave that. Will you swear that you are sincere in all that you have said to me?”’ * T swear I am, and if you knew all the particulars of the case, you would not ask the question. No longer will I serve those who requite my services in 50 ungrateful 1 manner.” Then, that is sufficient. I will trust you, and I bid you beware how you attempt to play me false!”’ ‘You need not fear.” “JT warn you. And now, have you found no clue to the whereabouts of Edgworth Bess ?”’ ‘© None whatever.” “She escaped from Wild’s cells,” said Blueskin. ** Are you certain of that ?”’ ‘' Ovite certaiu. T have the best evidences af it.” ‘You mean, you have seen ber since.” ‘No; but I bad it from the peraon who set her free!” _ — DOO 5} (SO) (Cc SS (SO) mn —_)