The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 250 pages of information about The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great.

The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 250 pages of information about The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great.

The second day of his confinement he was greatly surprized at receiving a visit from his wife; and more so, when, instead of a countenance ready to insult him, the only motive to which he could ascribe her presence, he saw the tears trickling down her lovely cheeks.  He embraced her with the utmost marks of affection, and declared he could hardly regret his confinement, since it had produced such an instance of the happiness he enjoyed in her, whose fidelity to him on this occasion would, be believed, make him the envy of most husbands, even in Newgate.  He then begged her to dry her eyes, and be comforted; for that matters might go better with him than she expected.  “No, no,” says she, “I am certain you would be found guilty.  Death.  I knew what it would always come to.  I told you it was impossible to carry on such a trade long; but you would not be advised, and now you see the consequence-now you repent when it is too late.  All the comfort I shall have when you are nubbed [Footnote:  The cant word for hanging.] is, that I gave you a good advice.  If you had always gone out by yourself, as I would have had you, you might have robbed on to the end of the chapter; but you was wiser than all the world, or rather lazier, and see what your laziness is come to—­to the cheat, [Footnote:  The gallows.] for thither you will go now, that’s infallible.  And a just judgment on you for following your headstrong will; I am the only person to be pitied; poor I, who shall be scandalised for your fault.  There goes she whose husband was hanged:  methinks I hear them crying so already.”  At which words she burst into tears.  He could not then forbear chiding her for this unnecessary concern on his account, and begged her not to trouble him any more.  She answered with some spirit, “On your account, and be d—­d to you!  No, if the old cull of a justice had not sent me hither, I believe it would have been long enough before I should have come hither to see after you; d—­ n me, I am committed for the FILINGLAY, [Footnote:  Picking pockets.] man, and we shall be both nubbed together.  ’I faith, my dear, it almost makes me amends for being nubbed myself, to have the pleasure of seeing thee nubbed too.”  “Indeed, my dear,” answered Wild, “it is what I have long wished for thee; but I do not desire to bear thee company, and I have still hopes to have the pleasure of seeing you go without me; at least I will have the pleasure to be rid of you now.”  And so saying, he seized her by the waist, and with strong arm flung her out of the room; but not before she had with her nails left a bloody memorial on his cheek:  and thus this fond couple parted.

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The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wild the Great from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.