Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

~~ nae ee ee ts ee A nn _~ = = _—_ -— om ae ie = ee ee —i—C FC‘ -_— —— eee SPRING-HEEL D JACK: sorry for you, as perhaps you have a wife and children depending on you for support.” “So I have; but you can’t come the hankey- pank+y over me—seen too much of it since I’ve been in the force,” said the man. Well, you, of course, must net blame me if you get into trouble for this night’s work.” “Oh, dear—no! I'm not such a fool.” | “T have no wish to hurt your feelings, said Richard ; “‘ but you will be a foolish man if you take me to the station on such a ridiculous sharge as entering a church with the intention of robbery—a charge which my position and character will at once rebut—a charge which will rebound upon yourself, and lead either to your suspension for some time, or utter dis- missal. Still, even the knowledge of that is but a sorry recompence to me for the indignities I am forced to bear. To those who move in the lower grades of society it is nothing to be dragged to the station; but,to a gentleman of wealth and position, it is degrading indeed.” “All right,” said the officer. “Oh, my friend, it is not all right. You will find, ere long, that it is all wrong. But don’t blame me. Go your own course. Me break into a church? Me? Preprosterous!—absurd ! The tone in which these last sentences were uttered really did set the officer thinking whether it was possible he had arrested a man without a faint apology for so doing. Certainly Richard Clavering’s appearance was that ot 2 Man moving in a superior grade. And though the officer knew he would be blamed if he did not perform his’ auty, he would oe severely censured indeed if he overstepped it by arresting uM innocent man, and one too, who had wealth und position on his side. ; He believed he was acting rightly. Yet feared that he had shown too much zeal in the per- formance of his duty. This feeling ha¥ing once taken possession of the officer’s heart, it grew stronger every minute, till he began to feel convinced in his own mind that he had gone too far, and pictured to himself lis either being suspended or turned out of the force. The wily libertine watched him keenly, and saw, by his altered countenance, what was tran- spiring in the officers mind. | Having assured himself that he had raised a doubt in the officer’s mind, he put on a still vreater air of injured innocence, and muttered as it to himself, but, in reality, loud enough for the man to hear— “What fools some men are! They will persist in getting themselves into trouble, despite all the warnings they receive. Well, he can’t blame me if he persists in this outrage. The consequences be on his own head. I could pity him but for! the indignity offered to myself. Yes, an indignity that would almost induce a gentleman to give a sovereign rather than submit to it. Even though le knows how absurd is the charge, and the cer- tainty of the punishment which will be awarded to the obstinate and stupid fellow who prefers it.” Ce entiiiemnntinentitiettiel THE TERROR OF LONDON. — LL re ee. ——~~—_ — 93 to put an end to this farce? How far is it to the station ?” , “‘ You are not far from it now,” was the reply in extremely modulated tones. “ Tam glad of that, for I am sickening of this nonsense. But, there ! you must do your duty, of course. Duty—humph! A strange duty, to be sure.” ““T hope I am performing my duty, sir. I have no wish to neglect or exceed it,” said the man. “Oh! no; of course not. But it strikes me very forcibly you will find that you have ex- ceeded it very considerably hy arresting, as a thief, a gentleman whom curiosity alone drew near a, church which had a broken window in it. Ha! ha! ha! Truly, I could laugh at the absurdity and ridiculousness of the thing, were it not also annoying to my feelings. what I should do as arespecter of law and order, and but for pressing engagements I would, and that is, press hard for a conviction against you for excess of zeal; but, unfortunately, I must leave this part of the country early to-morrow, and would rather have given five pounds to pre- vent this nonsense ; nay, 1 would now, though I know by so doing that I am paying a man who seeks to injure me, when I should do ali that [ can to punish him severely for the indignity he offers me.” The officer released his grasp of Claverine’s arm. ‘“‘1’m sure, sir, I should be very sorry to do anything wrong.” ) “Then do what’s right,” said Clavering, quickly ; “and to prove to you that I bear you no ill-will for your stupid notions, there is some- thing for you to buy your wife a bonnet with. None but a madman would act as you have done. But there, let this fooling cease.” He placed two or three golden coins in the ‘officer’s hand, and, turning quickly, hurried from the spot, leaving the surprised guardian of the peace with his hand still extended and open, looking after his retreating figure. / “Well, this is arum go,” he exclaimed, after a tong pause, looking at the glittering coins in the palm of his hand. {‘ Confound me! fora fool, ‘The fellow’s a thief, safe enough, and the devil take me for letting him go like that.” | “He'll take the wages of you, sir,” cried a voice behind him, and ere the ofhcer could close his fingers over the coins, they were snatched trom his hand, and a tall, cloaked figure sprang up on toa high garden wall at his side. ‘Gold obtained by bribery never does any good. The man who will sell justice deserves to be sold him- selt. Other and more worthy folks shall have what you so easily obtained, and so quickly lost.” The next moment Jack was gone, aud the officer gazed upon’the empty wall. CHAPTER XXXIII. THE SEAMSTRESS RETURNS HOME—SPRING-HEEL’D JACK AND THE OUTCAST. Then suddenly raising his voice, he exclaimed,| As our hero entered the cabin of the little col- :lmost fiercely— lier, preceded by Jerry and Peter, the poor ‘* Now, sir ; how much further have we to go|} young seamstress started up on the couch where LO ee ee | De CR A a NT EOL Ai i ee ap ea ce —_ oe (EC) re niGboo “S TY know- ——_——S— Se or (E()