Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

ee, tc a_i. al ee way, | BLUFSKIN: A ROMANCE. “~*~ .,, om, | Ghould he by any accident come in contact with any | one of the many articles of furniture there might be in | the room, a sound would be produced. | without asking the direct question, what portion of the | The result of that sonnd would be his discovery. ‘house Mrs. Roblet occupied, but briefly say it was a large Therefore Jack, with a tread as silent as a cat’s, mace | room on the top floor.” ‘“ ‘Yes—yes.” “I will pass over the difficulties I had in ascertaining, his way slowly forward. The mode in which he did so was strange. He crouched down and held out his arms as far as pos- sible in advariee of him. Then, little by little, he crawled across the room. A carpet was iaid upon the floor, and this was wonder. fully in his favour. But the apartment wus of no very great extent, so that, although his rate of progression was slow, yet it took but a few seconds for lum to reach the partition. We have said that there were several crevices in this partition, and that through them a few straggling beams of light found their way. They stretched in long pencils across the floor. Seeing this, Jack thought there was, if he drew nearer, a chance of his not only being an auditor of the inter- view between the two guests, but a spectator also. In this anticipation he was disappointed. The chinks were not wide enough for him to see through. He must, therefore, be content with hearing what was going to take place. In order to do this most conveniently he seated him- self on the floor, as close to the screen as he dared, with- out risking discovery. It would seem in the short space of time which ensued after the landlord closed the door, and while Jack acted and reflected as we have recorded, that: the occupants of the private room did no more than pour out and drink some portion of the wine which had been brought them. Certainly no word was uttered by either of them. As secrecy appeared so important a desideratum in their conference, it is probable enough they were silent for this brief period in order to make sure that the land- lord actually passed down the passage and descended the stairs. Jack wai.ed now very anxiously for them to speck. He was not long kept, in suspense. A chair was moved uneasily upon the floor. Then the first stranger spoke. Jack knew it way bim for there was something so uncommon in his intonation that, once heard, it would ever afterwards be recognized. *‘And so, Steggs, you are quite sure you are right— made no mistake—eh ?”’ *‘ None at all, your lordship. I have been ca~ful in the extreme.” “That is well!” “4 ‘TJ am glad,” said the man who bad been called by the rather pecuhar name of Steggs, “lam glad that your lordship thinks that what I have done is well.” The tones were fawning and servile in the extreme. No great amount of penetration was required to see in what position be stood with he whom he had called ‘‘ your lordship.” ** Well now, as there is no time to lose, Steggs, and as we are entirely free from the fear of being overheard, state as simply as you can, what you have discovered and Jone, so that an ultimate plan of operations may be resolved upon.” “¢T will, your lordship. In obedience to your commands, I set out this morning to make inquiries relative to the truth of the statement that had been made to your lord- ship, that your brother’s daughter, whom all thought dead, was alive.’’ © VYos—yes. I know all that. Go on—go on.” ** I am going on, your lordship ; only I understood that I was to mention the whole of the particulars ; but that is a little error on my part which I mnst intreat your lord- ship to forget.” ‘Never mind—never mind. Proceed.” *“T went to Prince’s-street, Little Turnstile, as you directed. Itisa most horrible place, my lord. Faugh! it makes me quite sick to think about it.” There was a jingling of glasses for a moment as though Mr. Steggs was so overcome that he was compelled to have recourse to the wine. ‘SIt was to No. 16 I went. It is a miserable, rmmous tenement, but a large one, and in the occupation of many persons.’ “* So far, then, the statement was corroborated.” ‘Yes, my lord, and even much further. You were told Mrs. Roblet gained a livelihood by making shrouds, and such I found actually the case.” : ‘* Yes. And did you find that—that ”— ‘She employed girls to assist her in thei: manufac- ture? Idid,my lord. Sometimeg, when trade was good, she had as many as twelve or tourteen; but now she employs only one.” ‘* Ah! and that oueP”’ “fs a girl who lives somewhere in the purlieus of Drury-lane. She is miserably poor, for work performed by women is rarely well remunerated; but in spite of her poverty she is clean and neatly dressed, while an air of good breeding pervades her every action, and is quite suf- ficient to show even the most casual observer that there is noble blood in her veins.” ‘* Indeed—is it so ?”’ “It is, my lord; and that she is the daughter of your lordship’s brother there cannot, I think, be the shadow of a doubt.” A sudden movement, as though his lordship had started to his feet, made itself heard, and then a hurried striding up and down the room. “‘Confound your caution, Steggs,’’ muttered Jack, “why couldn’t you have just said whose daughter she was, eh P”’ CHAPTER XIV. JACK RESOLVES UPON THE FRUSTRATION OF HIS LORD- SHIP’S DELECTABLE PLOT. JACK SHEPPARD was completely carried away by the in- tense feeling of interest which the fragmentary conver. sation created in his breast, and he was quite wild to think the man Steggs had been so near letting out the name of this girl’s father, and then after all had not done SO. His lordship paced up and down the room for full five minutes, and then he flung himself into a chair. Mr. Steggs was silent. He was waiting to be spoken to. Jack could hear his own heart go thump, thump, thump, against his breast with most alarming violence. He felt afraid it would be heard. But that dread was soon overcome, for he heard again his lordship address Mr. Steggs. é He was evidently greatly agitated. ‘“ What is to be done, Steggs ?” he said, “ what is to done? Donot be afraid to speak. You know that you and I have no secrets from each other. You tell me that you can entertain no reasonable doubt about what Wil- liams stated on his death-bed being true, namely that the—the httle child had been spared by him instead of —well—well—you know.” ‘There can be no doubt of its truth, my lord. Every- thing, so far from invalidating his confession, tends only to confirm it. He told you he had disobeyed your orders. That the child, instead of quitting this world, had heen placed by him in a family in Charles-street, Drury-lane. That he had watched over her all his life, and that at present she was occupied by an old woman named Roblet as a shroud maker.” “ And you have found all these details correct, you say?” ** Kvery one of them.” ‘“As you have said, then, there is no room for doubt, what is to be done Steggs, what is to be done?” Again his lordship jumped up from his chair, and paced up and down the room. “Something, your lordship, must be done, for, of course, you don’t wish all the estates to pass out of your hands into this girl’s, as they assuredly would by tho conditions of your brother’s will. It was her disappear- ance, mysterious as it was, which shortened his days, and you know the clause which he inserted te be acted upon in the event of her ever being found. What do you think, my lord?”’ Think, Steggs? I asked you ~ think. What is i¢ EAE NLS A | é COmiIcboooks 5} (SO)