Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

~~ BLUESKIN: a Se OEM LL PE PE EE IO <i : nr Steggs?” asked his lordship, after a brief interval of silence. I don’t like the idea of being here idle.” “That depends upon yourcelf. I think 1f you will try to sleep till morning you will then, by an effort cf your will, be able to get up and go about as usual.” Twill do so—I will do so!” ‘¢ Believe me, it will be the best.’’ *¢ And you, Steggs ?” ‘1, my lord, must find some place where I can repose my limbs a little. I am more used to hara knoeks than ou, and don’t feel them so much, but I think, of the two, came decidedly the worst off in the encounter.” For.once, we must coincide with Mr. Steggs. ** Well—well. beitso. I know, by myself, that you must want rest. But let us be stirring in the morning early.” - 7 - ** Do not fear for that.” . “Good night, Steggs. The landlord will find you another room.” “Thank you, my lord, and now, if you would allow | me to give you a piece of advice, in the shape of a pueeesuon. ** Speak out! - * We shall have, you may be sure, the greatest possible What is it?” | difficulty in finding out the retreat of the two persons of whom we are in quest, if we have nothing to guide us. Now,.my lord, there is a man in London who, in con- sideration of a sum of money, will place these persons in onr hands in less than twelve hours.” ** Impossible.” - Tt is true, uevertheless.” ** And wao is this man, Steggs ? What is his name?” ** JONATHAN WiLp!” CHAPTER XXXII. :N WHICH HIS LORDSHIP COMES TO A PERFECT UNDER- STANDING WITH THE GREAT TILEF-TAKER. “ JONATHAN WILD,” repeated his lordship, ‘‘surely, Steggs, I have heard that name ?” “Most hkely, I should think. He has been making himself rather notorious lately.” _ © But he is a thief-taker, is he not ?” °* That 1s one portion of his avocation, but he by no means confines himself to that.” “T have heard but little about him, Steggs, and that little was by no means to hiseredit. Iwas told he always managed to wreak ill on all those who beeame in any way connected with him.” ‘*Pho! pho! my lord, place no credenee in that. It is the misfortune of all great and suecessful men to have base detraetors.” : “Tt is. And so, Steggs, you would advise that we obtained Wald’s co-operation in this affair P”’ ** Most certainly, my lord.” “Well, well, you ought to know best. But leave me now. I will think of it—I will think of it.” “Do so.” ** We eannot see him before the morning, so there is plenty of time to decide.” “There is. I will, then, with your lordship’s permis- sion, seek an hour or two's rest.’ ** Call me at eight, Steges. I will get up then, come what will.” “Very good, my lord,” said Steggs, obseqiously, as he closed the door. ‘‘ Good-night, my lord.” “ Good-night.” “It will go hard but I make something out of this affair,’ muttered Steggs, as he sought the landlord, “very hard, indeed. I, too, will refleet, tor, after all, it may not be politie to take Jonathan into our confidenee. He isa villain, but that’s nothing. He would not seruple to betray anyone, and that is a great deal. I must think—l must think.” | But Mr. Steggs made one little mistake, he should have thought before he broached the suggestion; for in the morning, when, aceording- to Instructions, he awaked his lordship, that gentleman very decisively expressed lis determination to aet upon the advice given him. Now Steggs had come to the conclusion that he had not taken the wisest step for his own interests, but it was too late to draw baek, or, if he had made an attempt even, «t would have at once excited surprise, if not suspicion, 2D, A ROMANCE, of instantly aequiescing with his employer’s opinions. “ You must take me to Jonathan Wild’s at once,” he sfid, as soon as he had partaken of a hasty breakfast. “Ts xt Zar frora here ?”’ ** Quite elose at hand, your lordship; but your faee””— **Oh! never mind that. Iwill call at the first chymists we come to, and get him to dress it for me. Such a taiviality as that must not have power to keep me back when anything so important as the capturo of this giv) is going forward. Are you ready?” “Yam always ready,” said Steggs, bowing low, ‘and willing, too, whenever your lordship requires me.”’ ‘A smile of contempt came to his lordship’s lips, but when Steggs raised himself to an upright position it had disappeared. ‘“ Let us start, then, Immediately,” he said, “the less time there is wasted now the better.” Aecordingly, in about two minutes afterwards, this prceeious pair were on their way to Little Newgate, whither we will precede them. For once in a way, Jonathan came down to his office nearly an hour before his usual time that morning. ‘The ee he expeeted to do more than an ordinary day’s work. He was anxious, too, to learn what had ensued upon the discovery of the sacrilege at Tottenham Church. In these days of rapacious penny-a-liners, we should have had several eolumns in print about it at breakfast- time, but then the newspaper press was quite another affair. No, Wild did not look for any printed intelligence of the affair, but he fully expected that he would be immediately commumeated with. j The blood-stained tiara was still in Jonathan’s poeket, and in the one on the other side of his coat was Lady Ingestrie’s diamond necklace. This little affair he fully expected to bring to a termina- tion this morning, so that, with two sueh important pieces of business upon his mind, it is no wonder that Wild seated himself at his desk much earlier than was his wont. Then, again, there was the affair between him and Sir Marmaduke. He was uneasy, too, about the non-arrival of Joe Blake. It was something very out of the way for him to fail in an expedition, but as he did not eome, Jonathan began to dread the worst. While these thoughts were passing through his mind, Jonathan assumed a favourite attitude. He placed his elbows on the desk, and holding the palms of his hands together, rested his chin in them. “Tet me see,” he said, “I ought to expeet Lord Ingestrie here first. Now shall I restore him his neck- laee, or put him off for a day or two longer? Which will be safest, I wonder? I must be guided by cireum- stances.” As he spoke he dived his hand into his poeket, and drew the necklace forth. “A very pretty little ornament, that’s certain. Rather old-fashioned, though. I should not care to give three thousand pounds for it myself, though he must if he wauts it back.” . , At this moment some one tapped gently at the offiee door. Talk of the ——,” said Wild, as he lifted up the hd of his desk, and slipped the necklaee into it. ‘ Come in!” -he shouted in his most ferocious tones. It was Tonks who had tapped at the door, and just pro- jeeting his nose into the apartment, he said— “if you please, Mr. Wild, there’s two gentlemen as want to see you on particular and private business.” ** Where, villain ? ”’ “They are in the halk, if you please, sir.” “Then bring them in at once, and be hanged io you! How dare you keep them waiting ?” Tonks disappeared, and in another moment returncd, ushering in that individual who as yet we kuow by no other name than “ ‘gs lordship,” and his companiou in evil, Steggs. Jonathan was rather disappointed wien bis eye fell upon his visitors, for he fully exspeeted it would be Lord Ingestrie. Fc OT ge 47 — I Re for upon every other occasion he had always made a point Ly | COIN Cc NOOKS (S©) >