“Do not despair, my sweet soul,” said Wood, in a soothing tone.
“Do not despair!” echoed Mrs. Sheppard, with a laugh that cut the ears of those who listened to it like a razor — “Do not despair! And who or what shall give me comfort when my son is gone? I have wept till my eyes are dry — suffered till my heart is broken — prayed till the voice of prayer is dumb — and all of no avail. He will be hanged — hanged — hanged. Ha! ha! What have I left but despair and madness? Promise me one thing, Mr. Wood,” she continued, with a sudden change of tone, and convulsively clutching the carpenter’s arm, “promise it me.”
“Anything, my dear,” replied Wood, “What is it?”
“Bury us together in one grave in Willesden churchyard. There is a small yew-tree west of the church. Beneath that tree let us lie. In one grave, mind. Do you promise to do this?”
“Solemnly,” rejoined the carpenter.
“Enough,” said the widow, gratefully. “I must see him to-night.”
“Impossible, dear Mrs. Sheppard,” said Thames. “To-morrow I will take you to him.”
“To-morrow will be too late,” replied the widow, in a hollow voice, “I feel it will. I must go to-night, or I shall never behold him again. I must bless him before I die. I have strength enough to drag myself there, and I do not want to return.”
“Be pacified, sweet soul,” said Wood, looking meaningly at Thames; “you shall go, and I will accompany you.”
“A mother’s blessing on you,” replied Mrs. Sheppard, fervently. “And now,” she added, with somewhat more composure, “leave me, dear friends, I entreat, for a few minutes to collect my scattered thoughts — to prepare myself for what I have to go through — to pray for my son.”
“Shall we do so?” whispered Winifred to her father.
“By all means,” returned Wood; “don’t delay an instant.” And, followed by the young couple, who gazed wistfully at the poor sufferer, he hastily quitted the room, and locked the door after him.
Mrs. Sheppard was no sooner alone than she fell upon her knees by the side of the couch, and poured forth her heart in prayer. So absorbed was she by her passionate supplications that she was insensible to anything passing around her, until she felt a touch upon her shoulder, and heard a well-known voice breathe in her ear —“Mother!”
She started at the sound as if an apparition had called her, screamed, and fell into her son’s outstretched arms. “Mother! dear mother!” cried Jack, folding her to his breast.
“My son! my dear, dear son!” returned Mrs. Sheppard, returning his embrace with all a parent’s tenderness.
Jack was completely overcome. His chest heaved violently, and big tears coursed rapidly down his cheeks.
“I don’t deserve it,” he said, at length; “but I would have risked a thousand deaths to enjoy this moment’s happiness.”
“And you must have risked much to obtain it, my love. I have scarcely recovered from the shock of hearing of your condemnation, when I behold you free!”
“Not two hours since,” rejoined Jack, “I was chained down in the Condemned Hold in Newgate. With a small saw, conveyed to me a few days since by Thames Darrell, which I contrived to conceal upon my person, I removed a spike in the hatch, and, with the aid of some other friends, worked my way out. Having heard from Thames that you were better, and that your sole anxiety was about me, I came to give you the first intelligence of my escape.”
“Bless you for it. But you will stay here?”
“I dare not. I must provide for my safety.”
“Mr. Wood will protect you,” urged Mrs. Sheppard.
“He has not the power — perhaps not the will to do so. And if he would, I would not subject him to the annoyance. The moment my escape is known, a large reward will be placed on my head. My dress, my person will be minutely described. Jonathan Wild and his bloodhounds, with a hundred others, incited by the reward, will be upon my track. Nay, for aught I know, some of them may even now have got scent of me.”
“You terrify me,” cried Mrs. Sheppard. “Oh! if this is the case, do not stay an instant. Fly! fly!”
“As soon as I can do so with safety, I will return, or send to you,” said Jack.
“Do not endanger yourself on my account,” rejoined his mother. “I am quite easy now; receive my blessing, my dear son; and if we never meet again, rest assured my last prayer shall be for you.”
“Do not talk thus, dear mother,” returned Jack, gazing anxiously at her pale countenance, “or I shall not be able to quit you. You must live for me.”
“I will try to do so,” replied the widow, forcing a smile. “One last embrace. I need not counsel you to avoid those fatal courses which have placed you in such fearful jeopardy.”
“You need not,” replied Jack, in a tone of the deepest compunction. “And, oh! forgive me, though I can never forgive myself, for the misery I have caused you.”
“Forgive you!” echoed his mother, with a look radiant with delight. “I have nothing to forgive. Ah!” she screamed, with a sudden change of manner; and pointing to the window, which Jack had left open, and at which a dark figure was standing, “there is Jonathan Wild!”
“Betrayed!” exclaimed Jack, glancing in the same direction. “The door! — the door! — death!” he added, as he tried the handle, “it is locked — and I am unarmed. Madman that I am to be so!”
“Help!” shrieked Mrs. Sheppard.
“Be silent,” said Jonathan, striding deliberately into the room; “these cries will avail you nothing. Whoever answers them must assist me to capture your son. Be silent, I say, if you value his safety.”
Awed by Jonathan’s manner, Mrs. Sheppard repressed the scream that rose to her lips, and both mother and son gazed with apprehension at the heavy figure of the thief-taker, which, viewed in the twilight, seemed dilated to twice its natural size, and appeared almost to block up the window. In addition to his customary arms, Jonathan carried a bludgeon with a large heavy knob, suspended from his wrist by a loop; a favourite weapon, which he always took with him on dangerous expeditions, and which, if any information had been requisite, would have told Sheppard that the present was one of them.
“Well, Jack,” he said, after a pause, “are you disposed to go back quietly with me?”
“You’ll ascertain that when you attempt to touch me,” rejoined Sheppard, resolutely.
“My janizaries are within call,” returned Wild. “I’m armed; you are not.”
“It matters not. You shall not take me alive.”
“Spare him! spare him!” cried Mrs. Sheppard, falling on her knees.
“Get up, mother,” cried Jack; “do not kneel to him. I wouldn’t accept my life from him. I’ve foiled him hitherto, and will foil him yet. And, come what will, I’ll balk him of the satisfaction of hanging me.”
Jonathan raised his bludgeon, but controlled himself by a powerful effort.
“Fool!” he cried, “do you think I wouldn’t have secured you before this if I hadn’t some motive for my forbearance?”
“And that motive is fear,” replied Jack contemptuously.
“Fear!” echoed Wild, in a terrible tone — “fear! Repeat that word again, and nothing shall save you.”
“Don’t anger him, my dear son,” implored the poor widow, with a look of anguish at Jack. “Perhaps he means well.”