The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

eH 1 eer nonearesl a Ces PEARLS. “<©Qh, no! I should go mad too, if I were to remain here ; | must leave here | soon.’ ««¢ Well, will you go to the village inn 2’ «¢ « How far is that off >’ , | «€¢ About a mile—you’ll reach it easy enough; I'll drive you over for the matter of that, and leave you there. I shall take the cart there.’ «<¢ Very well, let it-be so > I will go. Well, well, I am glad it is all over, and the sooner it is over for ever, the better. I am truly sorry for her, but it cannot be helped. It will kill her, Ihave no doubt; but that is all the better: she will escape the misery consequent upon her departure, and release us from a weight of care.’ “© ¢So it will,’ said I ‘but come, we must go at once, if going you are.’ «© «Yes, yes,’ he said hurriedly. «¢¢ Well then, come along ; the horse is not yet unharnessed, and if we do not | make haste, we shall be too late to obtain a lodging for the night.’ : «<« That is very good,’fhe said, somewhat wildly : ‘I am quite ready —quite.’ : «¢ We left the house, and trotted off to the inn ata good rate, where we arrived |in about ten minutes or less, and then I put up the horse, and saw him to the inn, and came back as quick as I could on foot. ‘ Well, well,’ 1 thought, ‘this will do, I have had a good day of it—paid well for business, and haven’t | wanted for sport on the road.’ | Well, Icame to the conclusion that if the whole affair was ta speedily end, it would be more inmy pocket than if she were living, and she would be far happier in heaven than here, Mr. Todd.” *‘ Undoubledly,” said Mr. Sweeney Todd, ‘undoubtedly, that is a very just || observation of yours.” «« Well, then, I set to work to find out how the matter could be managed, and I watched her until she awoke. She looked around her, and seemed much surprised and confused, and did not seem to understand her position, while I remained at hand,”’ “‘ She sighed deeply, and put her hand to her head, and appeared for a time to be quite unable to comprehend what had happened to her, or where she was. | sent some tea to her, as | was not prepared to execute my purpose, and she seemed to recover, and asked some questions, but my man was dumb for the occasion, and would not speak, and the result was, she was very much frightened. I left her so for a week or two, and then, one day, I went into her cell. She had greatly altered in her appearance, and looked very pale. ««« Well,’ said I, ‘ how do you find yourself, now ?’. . || ‘She looked up into my face, and shuddered ; but she saidin a calm voice, || looking round her— ««* Wheream [?? | . *** You are here!’ said I, ‘and you'll be very comfortable if you only take on | kindly, but you will have a strait waistcoat put on you if you do not.’ vie ‘Good God?’ she exclaimed, clasping her hands, ‘have they put me here— }| in——in—— 7 | “She could not finish the sentence, and I supplied the word which she did || not utter, and then she screamed loudly— _ “* Come,’ said I, ‘this will never do; you must learn to be quiet, or you’ll have fearful consequences,’ 3 |“ *Qhmercy, mercy! Iwilldo no wrong! What have I done that I should be brought here?—-what have I done? They may take all I have if they will | let me live in freedom. I! care not where or how poor I may be. Oh, Henry! {| Henry !—if you knew where I was, would you not fly to my rescue? Yes, you | would, you would !’ : | ** * Ah,’ said I, ‘ there is no Henry here, and you must be cor.tent to do without | one.’ ‘| ***¥ could not have believed that my brother. would have acted such a base | part. I did not think him wicked, although I knew him to be selfish, mean, and a a enn ne EY sical te HEPA ~— a rg te a a ne te Sree et ne ce Rae I a comicbooks.com