The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 124: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| ae ee Ce ee ec ee ee at rent poe perenne the silent system would bring no grist fo the mill, and we must speak when we know we are right and among friends.” ‘(Of course,” said Fogg, “of course, that’s the right use of speech, and one may as well be without it, as to have it and nof use it; but come—drink, and fill again before I begin, and then to my tale, But we may as well have a senti- ment. Sentiment, you know,” continued Fogg, “is the very soul of friendship. What do you say to ‘The heart that can feel for another?” ‘With all my soul,” said Sweeney Todd ; “it’s very touching—very touching, indeed. ‘The heart that can feel for another!” and as he spoke, he emptied the glass, which he pushed towards Foge to refill. . “Well,” said Fogo, as he complied, “we have had the sentiment, we may as well have the exemplification.” ; ‘ ‘Ha! ha! ha!’ said Todd, “very good, very good indeed; pray go on, that will do capitally.” ae | | “IT may as well tell you the whole matter, as if occurred; I will then let you know all I know, and in the same manner. None of the parties are now living, or, at least, they are not in this country, which is just the same thing, so far as I am concerned.” “Then that is an affair settled and done with,’ remarked Sweeney Todd, parenthetically. “Yes, quite=Well, if was one night such a one as this, and pretty well about the same hour, perhaps somewhat earlier than this. flowever, it doesn’t signify a straw about the hour, but it was quite night, a dark and wet nighé too, when a knock came at the street-door—a sharp double knock-—it was. I was sitting alone, as I might have been now, drinking a glass or two of wine; I was startled, for I was thinking about an affair I had on hand at that very moment, of which there was a little stir. However, I went to the door, and peeped through a grating that I had there, and saw only aman; he had drawn his horse inside the gate, and secured him. He wore a large Whitney riding-coat, with a nap that would have thrown off a deluge. I fancied, or thought { could tell, that he meant no mischief; so I opened the door at once and saw a tall, gentlemaniy man, but wrapped up so, that you could not tell who or what he was; but my eyes are sharp, you know, Mr. Todd. We haven’t seen so much of the world without learning to distinguish what kind of person one has to deal with 2” ‘I should think not,’’ said Todd. “** Well,’ said I, ‘ what is your pleasure, sir ‘The stranger paused a moment or two before he made any reply to me. *< Ts your name Foge ?’ he said. on , Yes, ib is, said 1; ‘my name is Fooe—what is your pleasure with me, sir *¢ Why,’ said he, after another pause, during which he fixed his keen eye very hard upon me-=‘ why, I wish to have a little private conversation with you, if you can spare so much time, upon a very important matter which T have in hand.’ “* Walk in, sir,’ said I, as soon as I heard what it was he wanted, and he followed me in. ‘It is a very unpleasant night, and it’s coming on to rain harder I think it is fortunate you have got housed. “*Yes,’ he replied; ‘but lam tolerabiy weil protected against the rain, at al events,’ : “He came into this very parlour, and took a seat before the fire, with his back to the light, so that I couldn’t see his face very well. However, I was determined that I would be satisfied in these particulars, and so, when he had taken off his hat, I stirred up the fire, and had a blaze that illuminated the whole room, and which showed me the sharp, thin visage of my visitor, who was a dark man, with keen grey eyes that were very restless—’ “Will you have a glass of wine?’ said I; ‘the nicht is cold as well as wet.’ “* Yes, 1 will,’ he replied; ‘Tam cold with riding. You have a lonely place gous , heres your house, I sce, stands alone too. You have not many neigh- ours. a ns LINC RTE RO ne UN Nts ANI TE LEAT NE EC OSA LE EEN OO Ee ON ICT AE, A OBI LES 2 oe ft pee AP ny arreneme toy en THE SfRING OF PEARLS, eta Lem Sensis ban nese ote pr mtn remeron wer tes acne ronan es eee een arte a roe reese Rr i Theet ae