“My conscience acquits me of all share in the offence,” replied Jack, humbly. “But the past is irremediable, and I did not come hither to exculpate myself, I came to save your life,” he added, turning to Thames.
“I was not aware it was in danger,” rejoined Darrell.
“Then you ought to be thankful to me for the warning. You are in danger.”
“From some of your associates?”
“From your uncle, from my uncle,—Sir Rowland Trenchard.”
“What means this idle boasting, villain?” said Thames. “Your uncle, Sir Rowland?”
“It is no idle boasting,” replied the other. “You are cousin to the housebreaker, Jack Sheppard.”
“If it were so, he would have great reason to be proud of the relationship, truly,” observed Wood, shrugging his shoulders.
“It is easy to make an assertion like this,” said Thames, contemptuously.
“And equally easy to prove it,” replied Jack, giving him the paper he had abstracted from Wild. “Read that.”