Jack Sheppard | Page 4

went by
another name then,--Rykhart Scherprechter I think he called himself.
His fellow-prisoners nicknamed him the gallows-provider, from a habit
he had of picking out all those who were destined to the gibbet. He was
never known to err, and was as much dreaded as the jail-fever in
consequence. He singled out my poor husband from a crowd of other
felons; and you know how right he was in that case, Sir."
"Ay, marry," replied Wood, with a look that seemed to say that he did
not think it required any surprising skill in the art of divination to
predict the doom of the individual in question; but whatever opinion he
might entertain, he contented himself with inquiring into the grounds of
the conjuror's evil augury respecting the infant. "What did the old
fellow judge from, eh, Joan?" asked he.
"From a black mole under the child's right ear, shaped like a coffin,
which is a bad sign; and a deep line just above the middle of the left
thumb, meeting round about in the form of a noose, which is a worse,"
replied Mrs. Sheppard. "To be sure, it's not surprising the poor little
thing should be so marked; for, when I lay in the women-felons' ward
in Newgate, where he first saw the light, or at least such light as ever
finds entrance into that gloomy place, I had nothing, whether sleeping
or waking, but halters, and gibbets, and coffins, and such like horrible
visions, for ever dancing round me! And then, you know, Sir--but,
perhaps, you don't know that little Jack was born, a month before his
time, on the very day his poor father suffered."
"Lord bless us!" ejaculated Wood, "how shocking! No, I did not know
that."
"You may see the marks on the child yourself, if you choose, Sir,"
urged the widow.
"See the devil!--not I," cried Wood impatiently. "I didn't think you'd
been so easily fooled, Joan."

"Fooled or not," returned Mrs. Sheppard mysteriously, "old Van told
me one thing which has come true already."
"What's that?" asked Wood with some curiosity.
"He said, by way of comfort, I suppose, after the fright he gave me at
first, that the child would find a friend within twenty-four hours, who
would stand by him through life."
"A friend is not so soon gained as lost," replied Wood; "but how has
the prediction been fulfilled, Joan, eh?"
"I thought you would have guessed, Sir," replied the widow, timidly.
"I'm sure little Jack has but one friend beside myself, in the world, and
that's more than I would have ventured to say for him yesterday.
However, I've not told you all; for old Van did say something about the
child saving his new-found friend's life at the time of meeting; but how
that's to happen, I'm sure I can't guess."
"Nor any one else in his senses," rejoined Wood, with a laugh. "It's not
very likely that a babby of nine months old will save my life, if I'm to
be his friend, as you seem to say, Mrs. Sheppard. But I've not promised
to stand by him yet; nor will I, unless he turns out an honest lad,--mind
that. Of all crafts,--and it was the only craft his poor father, who, to do
him justice, was one of the best workmen that ever handled a saw or
drove a nail, could never understand,--of all crafts, I say, to be an
honest man is the master-craft. As long as your son observes that
precept I'll befriend him, but no longer."
"I don't desire it, Sir," replied Mrs. Sheppard, meekly.
"There's an old proverb," continued Wood, rising and walking towards
the fire, "which says,--'Put another man's child in your bosom, and he'll
creep out at your elbow.' But I don't value that, because I think it
applies to one who marries a widow with encumbrances; and that's not
my case, you know."
"Well, Sir," gasped Mrs. Sheppard.

"Well, my dear, I've a proposal to make in regard to this babby of yours,
which may, or may not, be agreeable. All I can say is, it's well meant;
and I may add, I'd have made it five minutes ago, if you'd given me the
opportunity."
"Pray come to the point, Sir," said Mrs. Sheppard, somewhat alarmed
by this preamble.
"I am coming to the point, Joan. The more haste, the worse
speed--better the feet slip than the tongue. However, to cut a long
matter short, my proposal's this:--I've taken a fancy to your bantling,
and, as I've no son of my own, if it meets with your concurrence and
that of Mrs. Wood, (for I never do anything without consulting my
better half,) I'll take the boy, educate him, and bring him up to my own
business of a carpenter."