Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

154 steal silently up behind her, or notice that it held a fold of its long cloak up so as to hide its face. It was a dark, damp (night, not a single star shed a ray of light in heaven’s canopy ; but suddenly the red glare of a torch lit up the scene with an unearthly lustre. Jane looked at the black hole and shuddered, then turned her gaze upon the box, and dropped her head upon her bosom, which rose and fell with the choking sobs she gave utterance to. No other sound broke the stillness, for even those rough men appeared to become impressed with the awful scene. They lowered the coffin slowly and silently into its last resting-place, as the shorter of the two men stealthily crept up to the side of the agonized wife. When the shell had been deposited in its place, the silence was. broken by the man who held the torch saying— “¢ Fill in quick. Tes confounded cold!” “ No—no!”’ cried Jane; “ not yet. Let me gaze upon him once more!” She staggered forward as she spoke to the edge of the hole. ‘‘ Who is theré left to care for me now ?”’ she cried, as she tottered back. ‘‘ None—none!”’ An arm encircled her waist, and, in tones which made her blood curdle in her veins, the words in an hissing whisper saluted her ears— “ Yes, one—myself !” | Jane turned now to meet the ardent gaze of Ralph Grasper. In an instant her form was drawn up to its full height. | Her tearful eyes flashed with a sudden fire. Her bosom swelled with emotions of insulted dignity instead of grief. She hurled the arm from her waist, and, in a voice which showed how acutely she felt the insult, she exclaimed— “Wretch! youhere?” |. | ““ Yes, I’m here, as I would be ever, at your side in moments of grief.” “* Accursed villain!” cried Jane, pointing to the grave which the men were fast filling in ; “* look upon your work! Glory in your triumph over the poor heart-broken wife! Oh! how callous is the heart of him who could come here to insult me with his presence at such an hour! Begone, viper !—dastard !”’ “Hold! Jane Slater, or you shall rue your words ! ” ““ Away, I say!” ; ee stretched forth her hands and pushed him ack. ““ Again I say beware, or I will so embitter | your life, that this moment shall have been the brightest in your existence! Viper! dastard! am 1? But you are”’ ¢ What ? ” “Thief! ** he whispered, “Ah!” ‘‘Oh! ah! that startles you, does it?” he cried, still in the hissing whisper with which he had carried on the conversation. “TI lost my pocket-book—the forged cheque. They were stolen froma cab. I know the thief—and that thief is yourself ! ”’ SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. ful strength, he hurled him’ from him into’ the hole. | | | | torch which one of them held up before staggered back, and nearly. fell fainting e ; Jane to the earth. | ‘You will be less violent in your speech I think !’’ hebissed. ‘ He who lies in that grave placed himself in my power, and felt the weight of my vengeance. Be wise, then, and make me our friend instead of your enemy! ”’ “‘ Oh! heaven!”’ gasped Jane, “‘ guide me how to act! ”’ el ‘¢ Be mine ee “ This to me, and at such a time and place?” | erled Jane. | toe: oN “ Refuse, and *?—— | re es He seized her hand in his own, na threaten- | ing manner. fs ae | « ‘Coward as well as villain!” hissed avoice | in his ear, as a vice-like grip fastened on his | throat, and he was held at arm’s length bythe | tall cloaked figure, whom neither had before | noticed. . So tight was the grasp upon his windpipe, that Ralph Grasper could utter no sound; but a slight scream escaped the lips of Jane, as by the dim light she saw the masked face of Spring- heeled Jack. Backwards our hero bore the ruffian towards the grave which the men, eager in their task, were filling im, and saw nothing of what was transpiring beyond, then exerting all his power- 1 7? “ There, accursed, heartless villain, rest with your victim !” exclaimed Jack. : | A cry eseaped from Ralph Grasper now—a ery of pain and terror, then a shriek, that rang out upon the night air, and caused the men to pause in their work and fall back from the edge of the ave. * The ruffian’s last ery had been called forth by — a blow he had received on the head from the spade of one of the men as he fell backwards into the hole, and which, striking him uponthe ~ already injured temple, caused him excruciating — agony. | oe A scene of confusion naturally ensued. v The ery of Grasper was echoed by that of Jane, who, half-fainting, fell wpon her knees, . In a moment Jack was by her side, He raised her to her feet. a “Be not alarmed,’ he cried; “the ruffan | shall not injure you.”’ | . a And he added, sinking his voice to a whisper— ‘“‘' The pocket-book and cheque shall never be | produced against you. They are both in my possession, and shall be buried in the grave of | your unfortunate husband.” “ “¢ Hush !” | | . | “Oh! my preserver ’’—— | | The men assisted the half-stunned Ralph from | ‘ ; *“* What’s this mean ?” said one. a ato | “T will tell you, my friends,” said Tack, ade | the grave, whose bleeding and patched features — looked truly hideous in the red glare of the ~ vancing, but averting his face from the light, 50 that they should not see his mask. “ This scoundrel has dared to insult the poor, aoa a ( ene wife = et man you have buried, even at the edge of her husband’s grave, and I flung the dastard into the hole.” — oh i? | (ORS - 0 Me rt’ a i) P*\ . som » ' * ‘< i a a . j \ = 7s ~~ »micbooks. —— = ee ee ee Gc mn