The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 250: what you’re looking at

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

" z * ~ rm ~ - -- ye vy - “ - = = t a ‘ — : ee ee ee a tema rene ERAN Ti RUN aA am dasa tte (jn ae ys ie oe, mann cnarparaaiesttinaienn poate’ a onenneesier tiene meena me — NON ern, ee rte RCN Nese _ ; . a seesaaewrenonns eA EN bts: 242 THE STRING OF PEARLS. : e to deaden the sound of any voices that might be raised in it. In the course of a rt gn few minutes a small door was opened, and a shabby looking man entered, with a | inv hesitating expression upon his face. OC “Ah, Sir Richard Blunt,” he said, “is that you ?” | i ‘‘Yes, your lordship, and if you are disengaged for a few minutes, I have fT ft something to communicate.” ‘Be “ Ah, some new plot. -Confound those Jacobin rascals!” wh ‘“No, my lord, the affair is quite domestic and social. It has no shade of | hal politics about it.” | ha The look of interest which the face of the secretary had assumed was gone in | an a moment, but still he could not very well refuse now to hear what Sir Richard | to Blunt had to say, and the conference lasted a quarter of an hour. At its termi- ti nation, as Sir Richard was leaving the room, the secretary said— Pa 4 “‘Qh, yes, of course, take full discretionary powers, and the Home-office will h pay allexpenses. I never heard of such a thing in all my life.”’ | tf “Nor I, my lord.” , ) i ‘* It’s really horrible.” i \ p “‘ It is even sofar as we know already, and yet I think there is much to learn, - | I shall, of course, communicate to your lordship anything that transpires.” fr ‘* Certainly—certainly. Good day.” : tic Sir Richard Blunt left the Secretary of State, and proceeded to his own resi- | ti il dence, and while he is there, making some alteration in his dress, we may as well | rel it take a glance at Crotchet, and see what that energetic but somewhat eccentric th i individual is about. After parting with Sir Richard Blunt at Temple Bar, he | N H walked up Fleet Street, upon Sweeney Todd’s side of the way, until he overtook t i aman with a pair of spectacles on, and a stoop in his gait, as though age had || Ss rf crept upon him. a ~ e | “* King,’ said Crotchet. , | : the news?” { ‘A long job, I think. Where’s Morgan ?”’ . oe “On the other side of the way.” ie 4 ‘« Well, just listen tome as we walk along, and if you see him, beckon him over to us.” | | As they walked along Crotchet told King what were the orders of Sir Richard Blunt, and they were soon joined by Morgan. The other officer, Godfrey, who | had been mentioned by the magistrate, was sent for. ay ‘‘Now,” said Crotchet, “here we are, four of us, and so you see we can take | “All right,” said the spectacled old gentleman in a firm voice. ‘‘ What's j : f ty it two and two for four hoursat a stretch as long as this confounded barber's : | shop keeps open.” | ‘‘ But,”” said Morgan, ‘‘he will suspect something.” | } ‘Well, we can’t help that. It’s quite clear he smugs the people, and all we }} have got to do is to prevent him smugging any more of ’em you see.” “ Well, well, we must dothe best we can.” : “Exactly ; so nowkeep a bright look out, and hang it all, we have been in © } enough rum adventures to be able to get the better ofa rascally barber, 1 should 7 | M think. Look out—look out ; there’s somebody going in now.” | CHAPTER Ll.’ || JOHANNA RUSHES TO HER DESTINY. JoHANNA had enough confidants now. Her father—Colonel Jeffery—Big { Hh Ben—and Arabella Wilmot, all knew li | | . -“ The sad story of her love.’ 4 li It will be a hard case if, among so many councillors, she hits upon the worst—a | comicbooks.com