Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

—— — i and now he turned quickly round and suffered the moonlight to shine full upon him. In that movement he had changed his mask, unperceived by the trembling man. ‘“* Are you answered ?” he cried. Richard Clavering uttered a loud shriek, and fell backwards in terror against the side of the ews. 5 The moonlight streamed full upon the white marble face of a skeleton. “ Mortal ! ‘are you answered ?” he asked again, making his voice more hollow than before. Richard Clavering covered his face with his hands. He could not bear the horrible sight which had met his gaze. Satisfied that he was in the presence of a being of another world, he exclaimed— “Then the grave does give up its dead ” “'To foil villainy at times, it does,” answered Jack. ‘At your peril, disobey. Follow me.’ “Spare me !” “ Guilty man ’”—— “Tknowlam a guilty wretch!” cried Richard, quickly, in trembling accents. “‘ I acknowledge it here ; but [ do repent of the crime I meditated, and will sin no more.’ “Tis given to me to read your heart,” said Jack. ‘‘Mortal! you lie!” ‘* No—no.”’ “Seek not to deceive one from the grave. Come !” “For heaven ”—— “Hold, impious wretch !” “On my soul ”-—— ‘f Peace ! and follow !” ‘*T cannot.” | ‘Then will I bear you in my arms,” said Jack, advancing a step towards the trembling and horrified man. With a shriek of horror, Richard held his hands before him to keep him off. “Touch me not,” he said, “‘ for contact with thee will kill me.” ‘Your life is worthless.”’ ‘“T have a wife to live for,”’ SCAN Wile steer Osea ea haslnag The tones in which this laugh were uttered were so wild and discordant that Richard almost shrieked aloud in horror and dismay. “Mortal! do you love your wife ?” Jack, after the echoes had died away. Richard did not reply. The phantom had told him he could read his heart, and he dared not answer. “Come!” said Jack. ‘‘ We waste time. Come with me.” | ‘**T implore you ”’--—— “You implore in vain,’ cried Jack, taking another step towards Clavering, ‘come you must, and shall,’ cs Keep off—keep off!” shrieked Richard. “Do rot touch me—I will go—I will go !” ‘** Beware you seek not to flee from me. In my presence you are as powerless as a child.” He pointed to the opening. “ But how can I descend ?”’ exclaimed Richard, advancing to the edge of the opening, asked - SE -_= -- - SP ING-HEEL’D JACK : THE TERROR OF LONDON. ‘* By these steps. Go.” Richard hesitated. - The phantom stretched forth his hand towards im. Clavering gave him one more despairing and imploring look, but was motioned to descend, and with a shudder of horror and despair, the libertine placed one foot on the steps, the top one of which he could trace in the moonlight. His blood curdled, and his flesh crept; but the spectre waved him on, and witha desperate effort, the guilty man commenced to descend into _ the davienese of the vaults beneath the church. He kept his eyes fixed upwards though, upon the skeleton face above him, still with an im- ploring look, but the spectre only kept his finger pointed down the opening, and uttered fee one word— . ce On! y2? Richard Clavering felt that he must obey— that his safest course to pursue was to be obedient, and he continued his descent. - | of the chapel, the spectre shifted his position. Richard paused on the steps, and, perceiving the horrible fizure gone, he was about to rush up them again, when the heavy trap was hurled | down upon the opening, and he was left in Sty-— cian darkness. Horrorstruck, he screamed aloud, and back to his ears came a peal of mocking lauchter. hands to the trap. Horror! it was fastened. He exerted all his strensth, but was powerless | rn to move the trap from its resting -place. The darkness of the grave was there; not one |. ray of light penetrated the place. A sensation, as of cold water being poured over him, he now experienced, and he imagined he could smell the mouldering corpses of those . whom he believed lay around him. To such a pitch of agony were his feelings now worked that, forgetful of the ae for sacrilege, he shr ieked aloud— < Help ! ! Help!’ And ‘‘help! help!” came back in mockery to his ears, as if screamed by a hundred spectre | tongues. “O my God—my God! how am I punished Al for my sin!’ he cried, as unable to bear the emotions under whiel he laboured, he sank (clown upon the steps. “Oh! that I had never meditated stealing that register!” he muttered, through his chat- ering teeth. * Oh! that I never had—I never 1a ?? After a pause, he sprang hurriedly to his feet, and essayed again and again to raise the trap. But all his exertions were of no avail, and he crept down the steps till he stood upon the floor of the vault. “Will no one come?” he cried alond. ‘“ No nee God! this fearful agony will drive me ma “Mad!” was the rently in loud echoes, and he elanced round him as if he expected to see a | thousand spectres peering at him and mocking his agony. “Felp, help!” 900ks:« CO NIC xy [ tT As his head disappeared beneath the flooring | By ‘ " a He mounted one step, aud “stretched up his i