Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

316 SPRING-HEEL D JACK : Silence!” said Jack, Se Caniten a * You must.”’ ‘Go away. Oh, please, go away.” “ T intend to.” ‘ Do—do.” “When your maid comes to your side.” “She is coming.” ‘* I see she is.” “Then go.” c¢ ° ] ome here, girl, to your mistress. Don’t be frightened. You have nothing to fear.” I'he girl hesitated, and kept some yards off. “I will not harm you, I assure you,” said Jack. “ Your mistress simply wants you to tell me her age.” * Seventy,” said the girl. “ Oh!” cried the old lady, ‘* It is false ! ”’ “ Certainly it is,” said. Jack. ‘I saw that at a glance.” | And, making a sudden snatch at the old lady’s black glossy ringlets, he tore them from her head. “~ Oh! the look of consternation —the cry of anguish that escaped the lips of the oldlady! It was something horrible, and Jack almost dropped the cluster of false hair from his extended hand as she sank down on her knees among the Seraniums, and, clasping her hands together, fixed on her false locks a look of the most comical despair. , , ‘Oh, mercy!” cried the girl, holding up her hands in amazement and terror, ‘‘ she is’ —— ‘ Shorn of her beauty, girl—is she not ?” said Jack. *‘Here—take her wig and put it on, for her bald head is enough to frighten anyone out. of their wits, and let me give you a bit of advice, old lady, before I go. Don’t try to make your- self what you can never be—young again! You may excite contempt by such proceedings, but never admiration. Age is honourable when borne with dignity ; but contemptible, when made ridiculous by such stupid things as this.” He threw the wig to the girl, and, with a con- temptuous smile, sprang upwards and on to the top of the wall. No person was close at hand on the other side; so, taking a parting look at the old lady, who still knelt aniong the geraniums, he leaped down, and was making off, when a cry caused him to turn, and he saw a young man running towards ' him. * Jack—Jack—Jack ! ” ‘“Who the deuce is that?” mentally asked Jack of himself, as he looked hard at the man. “Don’t you know me?” cried the young man, coming up, and extending his hand to-our hero, | A. smile broke over Jack’s face. “Mr. Bedford ?”’ “Yes, it’s Tom Bedford.” ‘*T did not recognise you at the moment.” “Nor should [ you, if I hadn't caught sight of you as you leaped down from that wall. I know there are few men can take such a leap so easily.” ‘Well, IT am glad to see you, Mr. Bedford.” ‘And I am more so to see you. In fact, lL have been endeavouring to find you out for some days.” a ———— = —— —_—_—_—_—_—_— —_—_ ——— - ——_— — = — o_o —-- - —— a — — . ——- 6¢ oe ——— er ao ee ee = ~ - <5 ‘ - . a, —_— THE TERROR OF LONDON. “Ah! For what purpose?” : “You know old Mother Frump ?” “The old lady we’’ a ‘Yes, yes. Well, about a week ago I saw ; there was something wrong about the old , woman, and didn’t like the appearance of things ; in ceneral, so I took the liberty of paying her house a visit, after the manner you did that if night, and discovered there, lying insensible, a . young girl about” | Jack clutched so fiercely at Tom Bedford's arm, that a cry of pain put a stop to bis story. “ol ‘“T beg your pardon,” said Jack. ‘* But go io on—goon. A young lady—yes!”’ | ‘‘She had been taken there against her will by that. fellow Grasper, at the villas, lower down; and, of course, J knew it could be for no good. So, while the old gal wasout,I made | — bold to steal her charge, and carried her to my own rooms, fetched a doctor, and, after a long while, she just recovered sufficient to murmur your name.’ ; *- Mine ?”’ “Ves. So I leaped to the conclusion that you must know something of her. She has_ not spoken since, for she has been mad with brain fever. J have tried to learn where I could find you, and had given up the task in despair when I saw you leap from that wall.” ; “Tom, God bless you for your news! I do indeed know her ; but why Grasper could have taken her there, I know not. But-come with me; this is no place to talk over the affair. Believe me, nothing could be more welcome to me at this moment than to learn where Hllen Folder is to be found.’ CHAPTER CIX. THE FATE OF RALPH GRASPER. | (CONCLUSION. ) GREAT, indeed, was the consternation of Miss Frump and Ralph Grasper when in company they entered the chamber where Ellen had been left by the latter to find it empty ; and but one conclusion could be arrived at, and that was that the girl had recovered her consciousness, and _ made good her escape; and, muttering curses loud and deep upon the head of the old maid, Grasper insultingly flung a shilling upon the table, as a reward for the trouble she had had, and refused to have anything further to do with her; and Miss #frump, not altogether sorry, placed the coin in her pocket, and, in not over choice language, ordered him to leave her house, and seek someone else when he wanted them to aid him in his dirty work. | a Filled with rage, Grasper left her to smother her ruffled spirits in a draught of her favourite liquor. He returned home, obtained a coach next morning, and drove to the east-end, resolved to find out, if possible, whether the woman had. gone back to Holly Cottage; for the constant checks he received only served to make him the more determined to ruin poor Jane Slater. . Here, to his great surprise, he saw Jane standing at the gate, weeping, and thus satisfied | as to where she was, he resolved to wait a few 4 days ere he again attempted to carry her off, , -_— —— -— -- —_-— — = ee ee _————— => » | COoOmlcpeooKs,com