Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 259: what you’re looking at

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

SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. ———— “And you feel you could trust me?” said Jack, with a smile. “ Tmplicitly.”’ : “Then fail not tos’ whatever you may require at my hands, for it shall be un- grudgingly bestowed,” said Jack. “If you wish for gold, it is yours.” “Tis not that I would crave of you,” answered the young man, quickly. “ What then ?” “ Your friendship.” Jack grasped his hand. “Tt is yours.” * Your advice.” ‘* As far as I can give it.” “‘Thanks!—a thousand thanks!” said the young man, joyously, grasping fervently at Jack’s hand. ‘‘ Now for these papers.” _ He flung back the lid of the box, and looked in. A small voll of papers was all it contained, and those he seized eagerly. He was about to untie the cord which bound them, when, casting his eyes upon the bed, he hesitated, and said— “Not now—not now. When she is buried, not till then. But oh! how—how can I obtain for her a decent funeral ?”’ “Let not that grieve you.” | “ But it does, sir.” “ Why should it? ” ‘““T have no money ” ““T have.” c¢ But Loe “Tut ! tut!” said Jack; “seek out some respectable undertaker. I will settle his bull.” “And if ever I get my rights I will repay you,’ said Richard. “ I know that, and if bear the expense myself. “How can I thank you?” “ By saying no more upon the subject,” said our hero, | The young man fixed a look of gratitude upon his face, then turned his gaze upon the packet he held in his hand. ‘¢ What shall I do with these, sir?”’ hesaid. “I do not wish to leave them in that box, and fear that if I carry them about with me I may lose them.” “As you ask my advice, and are willing to take it,” said Jack, ‘‘ I would place the packet as it is, unopened, in the hands of some respect- able solicitor.” “A solicitor ?”’ “Yes. And he will act upon it as he may think best.” The young man looked down thoughtfully, and a low sigh escaped his bosom, Jack was not slow to divine his thoughts, and a smile played upon his lips, as he remarked— “T know a very worthy member of the law who would undertake to guide and advise you in the business, and one who would not put you to an enormous expense to seek to obtain that which you may, perhaps, have no claim to after all. Or I will place the papers in his hands my- self, if you will trust them with me.” . The young man held the packet towards him, « Sayling— you do not, I will freely rere a “ Willingly.” But Jack did not take it. ‘ Your confidence is great, young man,” he sald, “very great. You forget that I am a stranger to you.” “Still I cannot doubt your honesty and can- dour,” was the remark. “You should doubt all men till you have proved them.”’ “Not you.” “And why not me?” “You ask me a question I cannot answer. But something tells me I may place implicit trust 1n you, sir.” “ You may,” said Jack, taking the papers and placing them in his bosom. “Spring-heeled Jack will not play you false.” ‘* Pardon me, but that is not your only name,” said the young man. “ Certainly not,’ said Jack; ‘‘ butit is the only one | care to be known by to the world.”’ The young man bowed his head. He felt that even to him Jack cared not to reveal it, and though he felt he would have been slad to know the real name of his new-found friend, he forbore to ask it. “Tf I refuse to tell you who I really am, I fear your confidence in me will undergo a change,’ he said, after a pause. ‘* Believe me, no.” “Then, for the present, I prefer withholding from you who I am.” “T shall esteem you none the less for that,” said the other. “1 am glad to hear you say so.” There was another pause, during which the young man continued to gaze upon the heap of rags in the corner which covered the remains of her who had died that morning. “You have a sister,” said Jack, suddenly. *Yes. Oh yes; but I do not know whether she is living or dead, or where to seek her,” said the youngman. ‘I wish I did—I wish I did.” ‘“* Her name }” *¢ Ellen.” “Yes; but her surname, or rather the name she has been known by,” said Jack, “‘ But I need not ask—Folder, is it not ? ” The young man started. “ Do you know her?” he cried, eagerly. ‘¢T think I do.” “ Oh, sir” “Be calm, my friend. After all, the Ellen Folder, to whom you bear so striking a resem- blance, may not be your sister.” “She must—it must be her. We are so much alike.” | ‘The likeness is indeed great.” «Nell me where I can find her—where 1 can seek her, to make her acquainted with her mother’s end—at least, with the death of her who, notwithstanding her great sin, has ever been, all in her power, a mother to us.” “ You shall go with me to where she is to be found,” said Jack. “Oh, thank you—thank you !” cried the young man, snatching up his hat, and placing 1t upon his head with trembling hands, “ But not now.”’ “ Not now ?”