Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

The document was a tolerably good specimen ofits class. The top of it was adorned with a rude representation of the manner in which Jack had been drawn between the two spikes. Then followed a tolerably accurate account of all that had occnrred, with such exaggerated embellishments as the public taste craved for, and ended with the string of verses which invariably form an adjunct to such per- formances Jack read it throuch to the end, and then he dropped the hand that held the paper between his knees. He gave himself up for the first time to a little serious reflection. Little by littie the whole of his past life was brought before him. The retrospection was not a pleasant one. Still, for all that, he pondered deeply over it. The larger share by far of his thoughts was, however, oestowed upon Edgworth Bess. He recalled to mind the strange manner in which he nad first heard of her, and the still stranger circumstances under which their meeting had taken place. There needed no one to tell Jack that he passionately loved her. He could feel it—he knew it; he knew as well that his passion was hopeless—that it could never be requited. There was such a gulf between them that he could never cross. But though he knew all this, he made not the slightest attempt to quench his love. He felt that so long as his heart beat in his bosom, he should love her. It was a kind of love rarely indeed met with. Cnselfish love. All he desired was her welfare and happiness. He felt how glad he would be to lie down and quit this life of turmoil, could he but first see the heiress triumph over her enemies, and be instated in her just possessions. The more Jack thought, the more sad he grew. There was a bottle of wine upon the table, and he drank of it repeatedly; but such was his state of mind, that his spirits were in no way cheered thereby. Indeed it took no more effect upon him than if he had drank so much water. There was a half-choked feeling in his breast which rose up every moment in his throat, and which required all his self-control to keep down. . Poor Jack! his indeed had been a sad, sad life, and there was little prospect of its reaching a happy terniina- tion. He could trace all, however, to the evil operations cf the arch-fiend, Jonathan Wild. He had all through been his malignant destiny, and pursued him with untiring inveteracy. To be sure, up to now, Jack had baffled and set at nought all the attempts he had made upon his life and liberty, but every day his position grew more complicated and embarrassing. His life was forfeit to the laws of his country. He was a felon condemned to death. He groaned bitterly. But he cast aside as much as he could all recollection of himself. He felt that to dwell upon the thenie could do nv good, and in the end unnerve and unfit him to carry out the plans which he had formed. He turned the whole of his thoughts to a consideration of the position of Edgworth Bess. His determination was this. He would continue his desperate fight against adverse fate until he had seen her safe, and then—then he should be Tuite ready. e trusted still to live to accomplish the downfall of Wild. Could he but see that, he felt that he should die with one pang the less. Whether he will do this the history will unfold. It must be remembered that three detcrmined persons were all working to one end. Jack Sheppard. Blueskin. Steggs. Jonathan Wild certainly treads upou "ary dangerous yeound. But he was a man of no comnion order, and o match generally to all who opposed him, eo ee < ~~ BLUESKIN; A ROMANCE. wn er SS ee, oe a en 255 | a en | It wid be seen that Jack’s reflections all ended in the same place. If he thought of himself, his heart rose in revenge against the thief-taker. If he thought of Edgworth Bess, there were he wrongs to be avenged. ; Such being the conclusion of his reflections, he @wel+ upon it in every possible way. He taxed his ingenuity to the utmost in the endeavour to decide upon some plan which would procure Wild’s annihilation. And as he thought and pondered upon his revenge, as his multitudinous wrongs rose up palpably before him, his brain grew heated, his blood boiled. The wine then began to show its effects. There was a clock in one corner of the room, and Jack glanced up at it. There were yet two good hours to elapse before his appointment with Blueskin. **T will play them all a trick,’ he said. ‘* I will let Jonathan Wild and all the rest of the world know that I am not vanquished yet.” What idea it was which Jack had got into his head the reader will very quickly see. He rang the bell, and called for pens, ink, and paper. These materials for writing were placed hefore him. **T will write to Mr. Applebee first,’’ he said. “ Now to begin!” Jack was not much of a writer, but he soon set down on paper that which follows, in a hand so plain that no one could misread it. ** Safe out of Newgate. “Mr. Applebee, printer of dying speeches, in Blackfriars. ** Sin,—lI have just purchased one of your papers about my life, trial, and escape from Newgate. I must own I read it with very great interest, and I daresay a good many will do the same, which will answer your purpose and put money in your pocket. ‘“* T write these lines to ‘you in case you should want a second edition. If so, you can put this letter at the foot by the way of a postscript, and I beg to tell you that the person who leaves this at your house is no other than ** Your very humble servant, “ JOHN SUEPPARD.” This characteristic epistle needs no comment, and scarcely any explanation. Mr. Applebee was the name of the man who had printed tne bill which Jack had bought in the street, and whose trade chiefly consisted in the production of such documents. Jack deliberately folded up the letter and sealed it. **Now for Mr. Noakes,” he said. ‘“‘He shall be favoured.” He then wrote as follows :-—= “Mr. Noakes. *¢ Sir,—I trust you won’t be offended with me for leaving your mansion without bidding you good-bye. I was very loath to do it, but circumstances compelled me. I shall be much grieved, too, if you get into any trouble on my account. **T write these few lines to say that I am safe and well, but not very rich, and cannot afford to pay the postage of this letter, so I will call and leave it at the lodge-gate myself, and ask the man on the lock to deliver the same to you with all speed. “Give my compliments to Mr. Jonathan Wild, and tell him from me that I live in hopes of seeing him tucked up at Tyburn some fine morning. ** From your very humble servant, ** JOHN SHEPPARD.” Jack laughed when he finished this letter, but having done so, he folded it up, and addressed it to the governor of the prison. This will astonish them, I take it,”’ he said. “ It will show them that I am not at all down-hearted. Let nie see, there will be a tolerable reward for me now. IlIlow mad they will soth be when they find how near they were to earning it. Ha! ha! Iam off now. I will deliver these letters at once.” He slipped them into his pocket as he spoke and called for the gir] , Thon, having paid his reckoning, he put on his hat, and | ect out upon his perilous and, we think, foolhardy errand. A Eo ener ar oe er ree a er CCOMNMIC 0 OKO S CO)