Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 291: what you’re looking at

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-SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. 293 EE ee Papier oan eal darted behind the screen. a Slatternly-looking apartment. “ Did you call, mum? Oh, lor’! Master! master! missus has gone in hich strikes, and is a trying to beat her brains out on the back of the chair! Master! Mr. Tomkins! Oh, sir! Do come down, sir ! ” And the maid sprang out of the room in the greatest alarm. “What's the matter?” the landing. “Oh! missus is a screeching and a knocking SO, sir, in the back parlour,” answered the maid. Do come down.” “T can’t; I’m undressed.” : Oh! make haste, sir, I’m so frichtened.” “ You must wait. What’s she knocking for?” said ‘Tomkins. ‘ at And she can’t help it, sir. Oh, do come, 3 young woman entered the cried Tomkins, from si. 66 You must wait till I’m dressed,” cried Tomkins. ‘“‘ T can’t come down in my shirt.” “Qh, don’t stop for anything, sir,’’ cried the girl, in her alarm. ~ You look to her. I don’t suppose it’s any- thing, after all,’ srowled Tomkins. He was a lucky fellow, that Mrs. Tomkins did not hear him. “ Oh, yes, sir, she’s in high strikes, sir, and she’s a smashing her bonnet awfully.” : i Eh!’ eried Tomkins, in quite a different voice. “ Doing what?” ~ A smashing her bonnet, sir.” ~ I'll be down directly, Mary. Smashing her bonnet! There’s something wrong to a cer- tainty, when a woman smashes her own bonnet.” And with this the old gentleman proceeded to hurry on his clothes in the utmost trepidation. Indeed, so eager was he to get them on, that he thrust “his long legs through the sleeves of his sparrow-tail coat, and did not discover his mistake till he found he was unable to button it round his loins. In his eagerness to remedy the error, he drew on his trousers over the coat ; then, giving vent to a curse, tore them right down one of the €gs, in his eagerness to get them off again. To add to his confusion, the loud cries of Mary, the maid, as she clung to the bottom rail of the bannisters, and begged him to make more speed, for she was afraid to go to the room by herself. The girl had seen and heard so much of her mistress’s temper, that she had no desire to be alone with her in the state she was then in. Meanwhile, Jack and Mrs. Tomkins were left to themselves in the little parlour, and when the former found that there was but little prospect of either the master or maid enter- ing the room immediately, he stepped out from poping the screen, and approached the hysterical ady. He looked at her for a moment, curiously ; then went to the large box, and, taking out each of the bottles, placed them behind the screen, leaving it perfectly empty. “Tf LT could shut down the lid of the box, there can be but little fear of hurting the old dame, if I try it on her,” he muttered ; Rr rm ee mea eee In another moment | “ and it will afford me some amusement to see the surprise of old Tomkins and his servant when they enter the room. Come on, my dear young lady—only thirty six. Ha! ha! but Jacl lifted the insensible woman from her chair, and bore her gently to the box ; hesitating for a moment, he placed her within it, and satisfy- ng himself that she would in no way be in- ured by the lid when closed upon her, he took one of the bottles, forced it in her hands, and placed its neck to her mouth. He looked down upon her as she lay in the trunk, for a moment, and then closed the lid upon her. ‘* It’s too bad, I know,” muttered Jack, as he took up his position behind the screen; ‘f but I can’t resist the inclination to punish her for her nagging at the old gentleman; and perhaps it may have the effect of breaking her of the vice to which she is evidently greatly addicted—at all events, I don’t believe she will ever keep her brandy in that chest again.” | The maid still continued to importune the old gentleman to hurry himself; and, at length, attired only in the torn trowsers and shirt, Mr. Tomkins made his way down the stairs. ‘““ Oh, sir! Oh, sir! ”’ ““ Hold your tongue,’’ cried the old gentleman. “Why didn’t you go in and see to her. It’s only her violent passion, I expect, that has sent her off.”’ So thought the girl, and hence her reason for remaining in the passage. Both at once they entered the room, and both at once they came to a dead stop just inside it. Both looked hard into each other’s face, and both at the same moment exclaimed— Ohya The chair in which the old lady had sat was empty, and no Mrs. Tomkins was to be seen. Tomkins looked furious—the girl alarmed. One was frightened and the other amazed. The maid leaped to the conclusion that her mistress had rushed out at the window, without knowing what she was about, and -the master instantly fancied the girl had been fooling him. ‘“ What does this mean ?”’ asked Tomkins. “ What can it mean?” asked the girl. “My wife’s not here!” cried Tomkins. ‘‘ My mistress has gone! ”’ cried the maid. Then both looked at the other again, and then at the window. “ Mary!” “Master !”’ cc Vm a Ge 80 So am I, sir.” Another pause, and another look round the room. “Who told you to fetch me down in this state?’ exclaimed Tomkins. “ Nobody, sir—that is, sir—oh! my, sir! Where’s she gone?” AC rr | Tomkin’s had caught hold of the maid’s arm, and his tones were more severe than ever she had known them before. Ves sr ls © Look at me.”’ eYes, sir!” “ T’m annoyed.” oe EComicbooks.co eee SS