The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

288 THE STRING OF PEARLS. “ TEE era eee ieee eee eae e a ein eae e ney i capREESE eds NSUSRE ERE: << PRR APEBOAGC RE i SPOT IETS AI NR NPS RRS BE eR 0 aR TN “RGAE te ama a UE CN MEIN eee «Glaeser Go gene ‘‘Thank you, sir, if you will oblige me for a moment or two. You will find some arausements, sir, from the Lycaing Courant, I dare say.’” ‘* As he spoke, he handed the then popular newspaper to his customer, and left him. Todd took good care to close the door leading into the parlour, and then proceeding up to the body of the murdered Peter, he, with his foot, turned it. over and over, until it was under the table, where it was most completely hidden by a cover that hung down to within an inch of the floor. Before Todd had got this operation well completed, he heard his shop door open. That door creaked most villanously ; by so doing, while he was otherwise engaged, he could always hear if it was opened or attempted to be opened. Todd was in the shop ina moment, and saw a respectable-looking personage, dressed in rather clerical costume, who said— “You keep powder ?’’ i eat * “Certainly, sir.” “Then I wish my hair powdered; but do not let me interrupt this gentleman. I can wait.” “ Perhaps, sir, if you could make it convenient to look in again,” said Todd, *“ you will probably be more amused by looking at the shops, than by waiting here while this gentleman is shaved.” 3 “Thank ,you, you are very kind; but I am rather tired, and glad of the opportunity of having a rest.’’ “Certainly, sir. As you please. The Courant, sir, at your service.” Thank you—thank you.”’ The clerical looking old gentleman sat down to read the Courant, while Todd commenced the operation of shaving his first customer. When that operation was half completed, he said— “They report, sir, that St. Dunstan’s is giving way.” ‘Giving way,’ said the clercal looking gentleman, ‘‘ How do you mean about giving way ?” | “Why, sir,’ said Todd, with an air quite of reverential respect, ‘“‘ they say that the old church has a leaning towards Temple Bar, and that, if you stand at the opposite side of the way, you may just see it. I can’t, but they do say so.” ‘‘ Bless me,” said the clerical looking gentleman. ‘‘'That is a very sad things indeed, and nobody can be more sorry than lam to hear such a tale of the old church.” ‘* Wellsir, it may not be true.” | “‘T hope not, indeed. Nothing would give me greater pain than to be assured it wastrue. ‘The stench in the body of the church that so much has been said about in the parish is nothing to what you say, for who ought to put his nose into competition with his eternal welfare ?’”’ ‘«“Who, indeed, sir! What is your opinion of that alarming stench in old St. Dunstan’s >" ‘‘lam quite at aloss to make it out.”’ ‘‘ And so am I, sir—soam 1, But begging your pardon, sir, if lam not making too free, I thought as you were probably a clergyman, sir, you might have heard something more about it than we common folks.” ““No—no. Notaword. But what you say of the church having a leaning to Temple Bar is grievous.” ‘Well, sir, if you were to go andlook, you might find out that it was no such thing, and by the time you return | shall have completely finished off this gentleman.”’ ‘«*No—no. I make no sort of doubt in the world but that you would by that time have finished off the gentleman, but as for my going to look at the old church with any idea that it had a leaning to anything but itself, | can only say that my feelings as a man anda member of the glorious establishment, will not permit me.” ‘But, my dear sir, you might satisfy yourself that such was really not the case.” SS . ati INT easw2.ber=:, pe SN > im Pemmny “iia —— ob = ¥ shi eer ~<a tex — a i Sasa eriptiiiat nim canem sk sal See a SS mews =r ae So Re 7 = ~ - - — +~< _ oe poe - va ah 2 ~~ ~ — . - pee mn - ' . - = : to tee = ‘ a <_aenems aanicancaemenmeien . = = = fiom ; i Pe = geome <~ = pais Presa aionmmuaanee £ ws = r ee oor on — a \ ~ ee ee : - = ~ - a si a ase — _ igentes® grt one oe — a = SaaS Se t : 3 é = : : Sn a a ~ ee 7 : : SE ee ee ete : ~~ “ 5 amc fil ee Se tr Se . - ~ — a a ee _— = <emastanctt ras = = = = Ste ip _ = == > £ . ¥ So See ag SES SES SE * ote Semen, tn 5 er sea 5 = F = Z r : eater eee coals ARE aE 2 ‘ Src ae — 3 = ea se IS SS Soe ELI a - ae ve oe J inesailchalaaimipariiciagit deanon aan { Na ates anh os Eanes aaa Tea aS ae Pen Sh et wot MS 2 Hk> art aH ee EES abe See 3B meen Sete en ear ee ates ee ee rete Se ee a ary ae a Se SEE EE a> me Rc ie relia ees i ; _ ie = oe f ener sma eae, op ee ome ae a aoteiemaens m2 man a ro Sa ee ea oe aires aS SSS SSS —=s SL SET Sa Se Sccanaiaak Sosy ose mee ees Sus eh Se ae = — = = Sore Se pip eee Ee ey SSS an eg: pe PRAM RT Ti ig share — SS —- oe — aS wioss ae TE 3 Ss - aoa : ate == Se = ¥ f SS = are =: x ~ . = EA Saas rica epaRmaok canes, a <—-F a ee Smacesreanba ns Z = eee ee ens eee : = = ~ oe ae — SSS = 2 == = sb ase hee es re eas <= ; ~ - w oy > = —~ z : z ere ara eae meen —eeersonacsccene = a = ee See — SSS SS = remover = = = 3 = : wacom E eb pastiiesulnsabaraneemanst--seeere . 77, ke ee PR ERY ‘ * TM “Y ig es comicbooks.com