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Page 26
The apprentice was ordered down stairs the moment the lady entered
the room; and Wild, having shut the door, approached her with
great ferocity in his looks, and began to expatiate on the
complicated baseness of the crime she had been guilty of; but
though he uttered many good lessons of morality, as we doubt
whether from a particular reason they may work any very good
effect on our reader, we shall omit his speech, and only mention
his conclusion, which was by asking her what mercy she could now
expect from him? Miss Straddle, for that was the young lady, who
had had a good education, and had been more than once present at
the Old Bailey, very confidently denied the whole charge, and said
she had received the note from a friend. Wild then, raising his
voice, told her she should be immediately committed, and she might
depend on being convicted; "but," added he, changing his tone, "as
I have a violent affection for thee, my dear Straddle, if you will
follow my advice, I promise you, on my honour, to forgive you, nor
shall you be ever called in question on this account." "Why, what
would you have me to do, Mr. Wild?" replied the young lady, with a
pleasanter aspect. "You must know then," said Wild, "the money you
picked out of my pocket (nay, by G--d you did, and if you offer to
flinch you shall be convicted of it) I won at play of a fellow who
it seems robbed my friend of it; you must, therefore, give an
information on oath against one Thomas Fierce, and say that you
received the note from him, and leave the rest to me. I am
certain, Molly, you must be sensible of your obligations to me,
who return good for evil to you in this manner." The lady readily
consented, and advanced to embrace Mr. Wild, who stepped a little
back and cryed, "Hold, Molly; there are two other notes of L200
each to be accounted for--where are they?" The lady protested with
the most solemn asseverations that she knew of no more; with
which, when Wild was not satisfied, she cried, "I will stand
search." "That you shall," answered Wild, "and stand strip too."
He then proceeded to tumble and search her, but to no purpose,
till at last she burst into tears, and declared she would tell the
truth (as indeed she did); she then confessed that she had
disposed of the one to Jack Swagger, a great favourite of the
ladies, being an Irish gentleman, who had been bred clerk to an
attorney, afterwards whipt out of a regiment of dragoons, and was
then a Newgate solicitor, and a bawdy house bully; and, as for the
other, she had laid it all out that very morning in brocaded silks
and Flanders lace. With this account Wild, who indeed knew it to
be a very probable one, was forced to be contented: and now,
abandoning all further thoughts of what he saw was irretrievably
lost, he gave the lady some further instructions, and then,
desiring her to stay a few minutes behind him, he returned to his
friend, and acquainted him that he had discovered the whole
roguery; that the woman had confessed from whom she had received
the note, and promised to give an information before a justice of
peace; adding, he was concerned he could not attend him thither,
being obliged to go to the other end of the town to receive thirty
pounds, which he was to pay that evening. Heartfree said that
should not prevent him of his company, for he could easily lend
him such a trifle. This was accordingly done and accepted, and
Wild, Heartfree, and the lady went to the justice together.
The warrant being granted, and the constable being acquainted by
the lady, who received her information from Wild, of Mr. Fierce's
haunts, he was easily apprehended, and, being confronted by Miss
Straddle, who swore positively to him, though she had never seen
him before, he was committed to Newgate, where he immediately
conveyed an information to Wild of what had happened, and in the
evening received a visit from him.
Wild affected great concern for his friend's misfortune, and as
great surprize at the means by which it was brought about.
However, he told Fierce that he must certainly be mistaken in that
point of his having had no acquaintance with Miss Straddle: but
added, that he would find her out, and endeavour to take off her
evidence, which, he observed, did not come home enough to endanger
him; besides, be would secure him witnesses of an alibi, and five
or six to his character; so that he need be under no apprehension,
for his confinement till the sessions would be his only
punishment.
Fierce, who was greatly comforted by these assurances of his
friend, returned him many thanks, and, both shaking each other
very earnestly by the hand, with a very hearty embrace they
separated.
The hero considered with himself that the single evidence of Miss
Straddle would not be sufficient to convince Fierce, whom he
resolved to hang, as he was the person who had principally refused
to deliver him the stipulated share of the booty; he therefore
went in quest of Mr. James Sly, the gentleman who had assisted in
the exploit, and found and acquainted him with the apprehending of
Fierce. Wild then, intimating his fear least Fierce should impeach
Sly, advised him to be beforehand, to surrender himself to a
justice of peace and offer himself as an evidence. Sly approved
Mr. Wild's opinion, went directly to a magistrate, and was by him
committed to the Gatehouse, with a promise of being admitted
evidence against his companion.
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