Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

Re SPRING-HEEL’D JACK THE TERROR OF LONDON. 301 a Ie ee ————————— act according to promise. But recollect that, if you do not, you will get punished as well as me. Now, look to your charge, and as you act towards me, so will | towards you. Iam aman of my word, ma’am, and hope you are a woman of yours.” ** OF course I am, sir.” “Ido not say you are not. But I must go. The vehicle at the door may excite surprise or curiosity, if left lonser unattended to. Good night, ma’am. Your charge will be all right soon, with a little attention, and to-morrow I ope to see her and yourself both well.” o saying, the old rascal, without looking to- wards the bed, stalked out of the room. Miss Frump followed him down the stairs with the light, and in a few moments heard the vehicle driven off. “T don’t like his nasty, sneering manner,” she muttered as she turned to go upstairs again. ‘“* But never mind, V’ll make him pay me well for my trouble. She entered the room, and approached the bed, holding the light up, so as to throw its! rays full upon the face of the unconscious wo- | man, then staggered back, exclaiming— “Why, it’s not her—what can this mean ? ” CHAPTER CII. MISS FRUMP EXCITES SUSPICION—TOM BEDFORD AGAIN, Miss Frump knew not what to think. She had expected to look upon a face that she had seen before—a face that had lured away one of her best back-room lodgers many months before, when James Slater was an honest young man, and the most trusted clerk of Ralph Grasper. Great then, was her surprise when she looked into a face she had never before seen—a pale, beautiful face of a female, about Jane’s age, that, in the pallor of insensibility, looked angelic in its sweet serenity. “Who can it be?’ she said, at length, placing the lamp on the table. ‘“ Where did Grasper get hold of her? Why did he deceive me? But Ill know all about it in the morning. He pretended to trust me; and he shall, or it won't be wellfor him! If Lam a lone woman, ITamnot to be put upon. Confidence for confi- dence. And I'l] have it, or he shall take her away from here! Lor’! how faint I do feel again, to be sure! I’ve never been myself since that arch deceiver, Duppy, lacerated my poor confiding heart, and basely turned from the pure soul that yearned towards him. Oh, man! man! how cruel you are to us maidens!”’ And Miss Frump, in the agony of her soul, wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron, and sighed heavily. ai The remembrance of the way in which the deaf old lodger had slighted her advances was more than she could find spirit to bear with, so TT I’ve had bad luck with my lodgers, |. ‘but this one shall pay me for all.” a» m=eGOoOmigcdpoed she shed a few tears of bitter regret, and then sought relief for her sufferings in a little cup- board in the corner of the room. There she kept the panacea for all her ilk— the only medicine that could relieve her—a medicine kept ina little leathern bottle that smelt strangely like gin. A few drops, and Miss Frump was herself again—the wounded heart was healed, and the tear was dried. Her calmness restored to her, the old lady set about endeavouring to restore to consciousness her beautiful charge. This she did in her own way, which was by forcing the neck of the little bottle between the lips of the poor girl, and turning it bottom up- wards. But the firm-closed teeth resisted the liquid, and it ran out of the mouth and over the cheeks and neck of the senseless woman, filling the room with the odour of a gin-palace. ‘“ Dear— dear!” said the old lady. ‘* What a pity—what a sin to see so much good liquor wasted! ‘There is nearly half-a-quartern, and not adrop has gone down her throat—the very best Old Tom, too! Dear—dear! how sinful! If I had not been a fool, I should have kept it for myself, and given her water; for ’m sure to feel faint before the morning, and I can’t go out to-night to set any more.” And with a sad look, Miss Frump placed the empty bottle in the little cupboard, and had recourse to the water-jug, which stood by the side of the bed. ‘“ Water don’t cost much,” she muttered,” ‘so she may turn it all out if she likes, theugh 1 don’t want the pillows soaked for all that. Lor’! how tight she does keep her teeth together.” Finding that she could not force the water into her mouth, Miss Frump eventually became alarmed, and, bending lower, placed her ear to - the lips of the insensible woman. Not a breath fanned her cheek. Miss Frump turned pale, and the glass she had filled from the water-jug shook in her hand and scattered its contents over the bed. Tremblingly, she placed the glass on the table. Nervously, she laid her hand on the bosom of her charge. With alook of terror,she drew back ; and, with extended eye-balls, glared upon the form before her. There was no discernible pulsation. Was she dead ? Miss Frump uttered a low cry, and sank, halt swooning, into a chair. _ The thought was horrible. If the woman was dead, what fearful conse- quences to herself might arise! How could she account for her death ?. What excuse could she make for her being in that house ? None. She must tell the truth, and then—oh, horror ! The old lady’s hair stood on end. That is, a peculiar sensation pervaded her bald pate, and seemed to lift her wig from her head. What could she do ? She looked towards the little cupboard for \ <SeGOlimn