Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 234: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, ‘* Private P” Yes.” rm “Come up stairs, then, into my room.” 4 Jonathan led the way to his sitting-room om the first oor. The governor kept close at his heels. “Now,” said Wild, as he seated himself, and made a sign with his hand for his visitor to do th8 same, “‘ what is the news P” “Do you remember one Jack Sheppard?” ** Remember? Curse him.” **Kxactly. I see you do remember.” “ What of him ?” asked the thief-taker, full of interest. You brought him in a prisoner once.” And you were fool enough to let him free.” “Now, Mr. Wild.” “ Go on.” ** Yon are too violent.” « Have you really got any news about that devil’s « Jack Sheppard P” Yes.” **Of course I have.” © Then let me hear it.” *¢] came in with that intention, but really, dear sir, you are too violent—sadly too violent.” “Curse you, £0 on.” © Last night ’’—= “Well, well!” ** Or, rather, I ought to say this morning, Le and two of your men committed a murder and robbery! ”’ Jonathan sprang to his feet. ‘* Two of my men?” Yes.” 6° Which two P” ** Flood is one.” “The villain!” *€ And Blewitt the other.” ‘T begin to sce all now.’ © All what, Mr. Wild ?”’ . tener mind! ‘They committed a robbery, you say P”’ €¢ “es.” ** And a murder P”’ ** And a murder.” But who—where P” “‘'The man they have robbed and murdered is no other than John Roots, the carpenter, of Wych-street !”’ “The devil! And what next?” ** My men were on the spot looking out for him, as they have been ever since he escaped.” €¢ And 9 sme ** And all three were captured.” “ Jack Sheppard P”’ *¢ All three.” ** Captured!” repeated Wild, who was wound up to the highest pitch of excitement by what he heard. ‘ Cap- tured, Jack Sheppard captured? Impossible!” * Why soP” ** Tt seems so.” ‘That may be, but at this present moment he is in the strongest cell in Newgate, and I will stake my life he will never get out of it.” ‘Keep him secure,” said Wild, as soon as he had realized the intelligence which had just been communi- cated to him. ‘‘ Keep him sccnre, and you shall be rewarded for it. He shall hang! He shall hang! I have sworn it!” ‘Very good,” said the governor, “* ll be off. He will be brought before the magistrate at Bow-street at ten o'clock. I suppose you will be there?” aN CHAPTER CLXI. STEGGS, DISGUISED, SEEKS AN AUDIENCE WITH JONALSHAN WILD, AND ENDEAVOURS TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT FROM HIM. JONATHAN WILD, as soon as the governor had departed, allowed his hideous visage to expand into a smile, while In his disagreeable fashion, he rubbed his huge smoke. begrimed hands together. Then he chuckled. Truly, things looked well with him. Surely he was the favourite of Fortune. A little while back, and all he got for his pains was defeat. CE a a aT a RC aaa aE GOES el ene a a rn Sa a a a a I = a a tag a A re ED, Now the reaction had come. Success attended all his efforts. The pirate band was destroyed. The personal hatred which he had against O»bmel Thorne was quenched in death. The same moment, too, that had given him the s‘etors over these desperadoes, had placed Edgworth Bese ie his power. Then, as if that was not enough, no sooner had he returned than the intelligence was brought to him that Jack Sheppard and the two men who had been false to their trust had been captured. All would be well now, he thought, and visions of the future rose up before him. But Jonathan ought to have been wiser than to allow himself to be blinded by his success. He ought to have doubted. He ought to have been distrustful. He ought to have asked himself the question whether his present good fortune had not been awarded to him merely for the reason that when the sum of his triumph and wickedness was reached, his fall should be all the greater. All the more fearful. But, as we have said, he was blind to all this, and thus run upon his own destruction. Tlow he repaired to the police-court, and what he did there, 1s already known. From that place he went to the Secretary of State, in order to inform him of the success which he had met with in his attack upon the pirates, and to lay claim to the rewards, This gratifying little piece of business over, Jonathan repaired to his own dwelling. He was anxious, in the first place, to know the condition of Edgworth Bess, and, in the eecond, he had been absent from his ordinary dutics rather longer than he liked. From Mr. Snoxall he received the gratifying assurance that the poor prisoner was better, though very weak. With a lightened heart, he sat down in his office to attend to his usual work, which was that of calculating the value of the stolen goods received by his agents, and endeavouring, for a consideration, to effect a restoration of them to their owners. While he was thus engaged, two men came quietly down Newgate-street from the direction of St. Martin’s- le-Grand. They were talking earnestly togcther, in a very low tone of voice. At length, upon nearing Jonathan’s residence, they separated. One returned by the way he had come. The other ascended the little flight of steps in front of the thief-taker’s door, and, raising the knocker, gave a faint summons for admission. The door was flung open. The man on the step cringed down in an attitude of extreme humbleness. What do you wantP”’ ** Mr. Wild, if you please. dear, I want to see him on very particular business. ear.” ** What do you mean by fob! dear.’ Come in.” : It's when I think, Oh! dear. Did you say come inf” ** Yes, if yon want to see him.” *‘ Thankg, good sir. Oh! dear. The man crossed the threshold of stood in the passage. Wilkinson, for it was he who had answered the door, at once informed the thief-taker of the arrival of the strange visitor *¢ Send him in.” “Yes, Mr. Wild.” ; Accordingly this strange humble sort of being was ushered into the sanctum. Jonathan was in his usual attitude. That is to say, he was seated at his desk, with his elbows leaning upon it, and his chin buried in the palms of his hands. The man had taken off his hat. He held it with an air of clownish bashfulness betweer his hands, and slowly twirled it over and over. Jonathan looked keenly at him, Mr. Jonathan Wild. Ob! Ob! 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