The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

NN ‘ en >A ey tee Dah setae tae arent ernenesenent nn peti aeniondt ns nastiness Steere meeelsretin open tgeernise piper vsiintomen pi siowiggaeanty a a ee et Se eS em, Eta oe eR eR RINE IND e om aoe nat eh anton a a oe a or RN IY a 362 THE STRING OF PEARL S. made their appearance ; and then hiding sometimes in doorways, and sometimes behind columns and corners, he dodged them into Fleet-street. A coach was duly called, and Mrs. Ragg by the assistance of Martha Jones, was safely bestowed inside it. Todd heard distinctly the colonels address given to the coachman, who would have it twice over, so that he should be sure he had it all right. «That will do,’? said Todd. He darted across the street, and made the best of his way to his shop again. He listened at the door for a few moments before he entered, and he thought he heard the sound of weeping. He listened more attentively, and then he was sure. Some one was sobbing bitterly within the shop. ‘It must be Cnarley,” thought Todd. He placed his ear quite close to the panel of the door, in the hope that the boy would speak. Todd was quite an adept at listening, but this time he was dis- appointed, for the sham Charley Green spoke not one word. Yet the deep sobs continued. Todd was not in the best of tempers. He could stand the delay no longer, and bouncing into the shop, he cried— ae: “‘ What the devil is the meaning of all this? What is the meaning of it, you young rascal? I suspect-——’’ “Yes, sir,”’ said Johanna, looking Todd full in the face, ‘and so do J.” “ You—you ? suspect what?” | “That I shall have to have it out, for its aching distracts me. Did you ever have the tooth-ache, sir 2”? ‘<The tooth-ache ?” “Yes, sir. It’s—it’s worse than the heart-ache, and that I have had.” ‘“Ah!—humph! Any one been ?” “ One gentleman, sir, to be shaved; he says he will call again.” “Very good—very good.” Todd took from his pocket the key of the back-parlour — that key without which in his own possession he never left the shop; and then, after casting upon Johanna a somewhat sinister and threatening look, he muttered to himself-~ “I suspect that boy. If he refuse to come into the parlour, I will cut his throat in the shop ; but if he come in I ghall' be better satisfied. Charley? Come here.” “Yes, sir,” said Johanna; and she walked boldly into the parlour. *“* Shut the door.”’ She closed it. “‘Humph,” said Todd, it is no matter. “‘} will call you again when I want you.” CHAPTER LXXXI. JOHANNA IS ENCOURGED. Was Todd satisfied with Johanna’s excuse about the toothache ?{#Was he satisfied of the good foible of the supposed Charley Green, by the readiness with which she had come into the parlour ? he was staggered in his suspicions sufficiently to delay—and delay just then was to Sweeney Todd—one of the most fatal things that could be imagined. There are crumbs of consolati We shall see. If he were not satisfied, on under all circumstances. ~When Johanna was best sent out of the shop, upon the occasion of the visit of Mrs. Lovett to Todd, she had scarcely got a half dozen steps from the door of the barker’s, when a man 1 passing her, and without pausing a moment, said— ‘* Miss Oakley, be so good as to follow me.” = ee 7 ot canine RR nr aR Es Vn eR de ene ge st OmICDOOKS.COM —