Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 305: what you’re looking at

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BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, 1 a A IN OT * You must not be too »assionate. @old standing here at the hottom of these steps, @billed myself.” ‘¢ Where would you take me!” ‘* Not much further. You seem strangely unrviluog— row, 1 thought you were anxicus to see this gist,” “ T am—I am.” Come this way, then; but let me ask you, Yor the last time, what are your intentions in this matter 7” ‘“* | have already told them to you.” **But has your mind undergone any change ? “No; I am tired of this existence. ow I possess them, the wealth and rank which I once so much woveted pall upon me. Show me the true heiress, Jonathan Wild !—leave me alone with her. If she is willing to look over what I have done, I will, without loss of time, place her in a position as proud as any in this land. Show her to me, Wild; show her to me, in order that [ can make this offer, which I ought to have done long, long ago, and then much misery would have been spared to me!” But come, it is i feel CHAPTER CCXI. JONATHAN WILD DISPOSES OF LORD DONMULL. JONATHAN WILD distorted his lips into a derisive grin, as Juord Donmull thus spoke, while he half muttered— “He is a fool—an ass, and fully deserves the fate to which I would predoom him; and so, withhis mawkish sentimentality, he would ruin and overthrow all those glorious plans for my own aggrandizement which I had formed. Never!—never! If I take it in time, itis yet in my power to prevent that, at any rate.” ‘What do you say?” asked Lord Donmu!}, who could tell his companion was saving something, though he oe not catch the import of his words. ‘* What do you say?’ “Nothing, my lord—noathing. I was only sorry to find your lordship so despondent. Checr up, my Jord. Recollect what an important step it is which you are going to take. When it is once done, there is no un- doing it.” **So much the better, Wild, so much the better. As for the reward I offered you, I consider you have fully earned it, and I will pay you just the same as if things had turned out as I at first intended. Make your mind easy about that, Mr. Wild.” “Very good, your lordship. Iam here at your com- mands. If it is still your desire to see your niece, and offer her reparation, follow me, and I will lead you to where she is.” ** Lead on then, Wild, and quickly. I am impatient to gee her. Leadon. Oh! this place. To think that you could have placed such a one as she is in this noisome prisou-house.” Jonathan Wild took no notice of this last remark, but convinced in his miud that Lord Donmull wis incorrigible, he led the way along the gloomy corridor. At the last door on the right-hand side he paused. Lord Donmull paused beside him. Where they stood was in semi-darkuess. The oil lamp did not send forth a sufficient light to disperse the darkness which hung about that spot. How dark must the interior of that ccll ke which, as the reader knows, received the whole of its illumination and fresh air through the small opening above the door. ee great dehberation, Jonathan took a key from his pocket. Standing in the obscurity which we have described, his lordship could net perceive the hideous expression upon the thief-taker’s countenance. But if he could have seen it, how.his heart, would have deen dismayed. He, however, had no warning. Jonathan Wild thrust the key ints the lock, He had to apply both lis hands before he could tarn it in its rusty wards, but at length it gave way. Then he pushed the door a little way open upop ita binges. * Walk in, my lord. You will find her thera, Waik * Bat the place is dark.” You will find it all rigit when you get inside.” “ Bat, Wild ’”’—- © le ante, a Ott Py ces ees Rec a a ee Ce ree ae ee ah Or Rae a A a et Tp ern te Aya OO cece pT TS I SE LOT AE A 898 Jonathau’s eyes gleamed. : His lordship saw the ominous brightness, even in the ark. **Go in, my lord,’ he said again, seeing that his companion hesitated. ‘“*Go in, 1 say. You will find there all that you can possibly want.” But his lordship still lingered. Suspicion that all was not right flashed upon his mind, and instead of advancing, as the thief-taker directed, he drew back. ** Have you determined to alter your mind, my lord, that, even at the last moment, you retract. Do not, I beg, be so vacillating. Will you see her, or will you not P’ ** Where is she P” ** In there.” ** Let her come here to me.” “Impossible. Enter. It can do no harm to speak to her, at any rate.”’ * I do not like the place—I do not like the place.” **Pho—pho; you will find it all right when yon get ioside. Enter, I tell you.” *“No~—no. I cannot—dare not—go in.” His lordship shrunk still further back as he spoke. Jonathan Wild glared at him like a tiger. ‘¢ Cannot—dare not. Tush! tush! my lord. Pll make oul? These last words were uttered with sudden veliemence, and darting forward, the thief-taker caught hold of the nobleman by his throat. A faint shriek for aid was uttered, but it died away almost instantly. *“ T have had enough of this,” said Jonathan, in a voice of suppressed and concentrated passion. ‘ I have had enough! Do you think I am a fool, to he played upon by your pusillanimous fears? No, they last no longer! This way! I will provide you with board and lodyinz fora time. Perhaps, when you show yourself more sensible, I will release you.” Lord Donmull struggled desperately. But in the hands of Jonathan Wild, much as that worthy’s strength had been diminished, he was as a child, and as little capable of making effectual resistance. Grappling with him, Jonathan forced him to the ground, then dragged him along the stone pavement, in the direction ot the open cell. Slowly but surely he dragged him to this place, until at length, having got him upou the threshold, and summon- ing all his strength to his aid, he fairly lifted him, and flung him into the cell. His lordship reached the ground with a sickening crash; but before he could recover himself enough to shriek out or move, Jonathan banged the door after him, and turned the key in the lock. “Ha! ha!” he said, as he took his way along the cor- ridor in the direction of the stone steps leading to the grating, “there is one fool disposed of who, if I would have allowed it, would have ruined all my plans. Curse him! But never mind ; he is done with now. I must bring affairs toa crisis, however. It will not do to dally longer. Curse the girl! if sho was but twelve mouths older than she is, all would be easy and straightforward. dut it is ue use to wish that; itis one of the things that cannot be altered. I must wait—I must wait.” By the time he had reached this poiut in his reflections, Jcnathan reached the flight of steps. The man at the grating, seeing him approach, opened it, and allowed him to pass through. As he closed the iron door behind him, Wild eaid— Jenkinson.” “Yes, Mr. Wild.” ‘When you feed the prisoners please to recollect that there i3 a tresh one in C. 10.” “A’l right, Mr. Wild. I will attend to it, sir.” Jonathan strode ou. He came to the door of the office, and here he entered. He glanced at his watch as he did so, and saw that it was two o'clock. “Tam neglecting my private business shamefully, he said: “but never mind, I am independent of it any day. How hungry I feel! What an intolerable nuisance 1¢ is that we should have to sleep and eat! How much more could be performed! Why, most of us, if we live forty years, spend twenty-five of them in sleep! Pal rer ae et ee ew oS e- See ST ae REED ES AE FS SS IE nS IRI T I gD EY > err < ET @ 0 6. Se ey en ee Fs anu > Go NOOKS (E(0)