The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

186 secs THE STRING OF PEARLS. © seater ae ee nana tate tin ete ee “Why, I don’t know that,” said the shoemaker. “ However, you'll be safe enough here, sir, never doubt. ‘The rent 1s four shillings a week.” “Very good. I think, if you will show it to me, we shall suit each other, The great object with me is to find myself in the house ofa respectable man, and one look at you, sir, is quite sufficient to show me that you are one.”’ This was all highly flattering to the shoemaker, and he was so well pleased _ to get such a respectable, civil-spoken, middle aged gentleman into his house, that he was prepared, upon half a word to that effect, to come down a whole sixpence a week in the rent, if needs were. Of course, the would-be-lodger was well enough pleased with the attic, and turning to the shoemaker, he handed him four shillings, sayng— “As my friends are all so far off, I ought to give you a week’s rent in advance, instead of a reference, and there it is.” After this, who could ask any further questions? The magistrate, just, of his own accord, added that his name was Smith, and that he would stay a short time in his room if the shoemaker could oblige him with a light, which was done accordingly, and when the shoemaker’s wife came home—that lady having been out to gossip with no less a personage than Mrs. Lovett—he was quite elated to tell her what a lodger they had, and as he handed her the four shillings, saying “My dear, that will buy you the ribbon at Mrs. Keating’s, the mercer, that you had set your mind upon,” how could she be other than quite amiable? ‘Well, John,’’ she said, ‘ for-once in a way, I must say that you have shown | great judgment, and if I had been at home myself, I could not have managed better.”’ This, we are quite sure, our lady readers will agree with us was as much as any married femdle ought to say. Sir Richard Blunt ascended to the attic, of which he was now, by virtue of a weekly tenancy, lord and master, with a light, and closing the door, he cast his eyes around the apartment. Its appointments were decidedly not luxuriots. In one corner a stump-bedstead awakened any- thing but lively associations, while the miserable little grate, the front of which was decidedly composed of some portions of an old iron hoop from a barrel, did not look redulent of comforts. The rest of the apartments were what the auctioneers ¢all en suife, the said auctioneers having but a dreamy notion of what en suite means. But the appointments or disappointments of his attic were of little consequence to Sir ‘Richard Blunt. It was the window that offered attrac- tions to him. Softly opening it, he looked out, and found that there was a | leaden gutter, with only the average amount of filth in it, the drain being, of course, stopped up by a dishclout and a cracked flower-pot, which is perfectly according to custom in London. He saw enough at a glance, however, to con- vince him that there would be no difficulty whatever in getting to the attic of Tedd’s house, and that fact once ascertained, he waited with exemplary and placid patience the return of Crotchet. Now, Sweeney Todd was, during much of that day, in what is denominated a brown study. He could not make up his mind in what way he was to make up for the loss of the senses of Tobias. It | was with him an equal choice of disagreeables. ‘To have a boy, or not to havea | boy, which to do became an anxious question, | © A boy is a spy,” muttered Todd to himself—*“a spy upon all my actions— | a perpetual police-officer in a small way, constantly at my elbow—an alarum | continually crying to me ‘Todd! Todd! beware!’ Curses on them all, and yet what a slave am I to this place without a lad; and, after all, when they do become too troublesome and inquisitive, I can but dispose of them as I have disposed of him.” Todd patrolled his shop for some time, thus communing with himself; but as | yet he could not make up his mind which to do.—A boy or not a boy ?—that was the question. He remained in this unsatisfactory state of mind until sun- | set had passed away and the dim twilight was wrapping all things in. obscurity. | Then, without deciding upon either course, he suddenly, in a very hurried | manner, shut up his shop, and closing the outer door carefully, he walked rapidly een eee comicbooks.com