The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

4 QTE OOOO ALI LECT NOP SAME PS | RR rete on. 366 THE STRING OF PEARLS. = = power that she possessed, could have possibly prevented her mind from sinking, and the hideous fascinations of an overchargea fancy from breeding ‘sRude riot in her brain.” ~ 4 -- - . 2 See SP ees Rolf J “a Ss ee re SS > eT Fw - 4 aoe acs a ——-~ a But there was a power who supported her—a power which from the com- | mencement of the world has supported many—a power which while the world ( continues, will suppport many more, strengthening the weak and trampling on the strong. The power of love in all the magic of its deep and full intensity, Yes, this was the power which armed that frail ‘and delicate-loking girl with strength to cope with such a man—man shall we call him? no, we may say such a fiend as Sweeny Todd. If it required nosmall amount of moral courage to go in the first instance upon that expedition—so fraught with danger, to Todd’s shop—what did it require now to enable her toreturn after having passed through much peril, and tasting the sweets of friendship and sympathy? | Surely any heart but Johanna’s must have shrank aghast from ever again even ) in thought, approaching that dreadful place. Andyet she went. Yesupon | hér mission of justice she went. ‘To be sure, she was told that as far as human means went, she would be upheld and supported from those without ; but what could that assure to her further than that if she fell she should not fall un- avenged? ‘Truly,ifsome higher, some far nobler impulse than that derived from any consciousness that she was looked after, had not strengthened her, the girl’s spirit, must have sunk beneath the weight of many terrors. With a sad smile she once again crossed the threshold of that house, which she now no longer suspected to be the murderer’s haunt. She knew it. ee CHAPTER LXXXII. TODD VISITS THE COLONEL. How she sped with Todd we are already aware. Let us take a peep at the arch-demon in that parlour, which he considered his sanctuary, his city of refuge as it were. At least Todd considered it to be such, whether it was or not. He sits at atable, the table beneath which there was no floor, and cover- ‘ing up his face with his huge hands, he sets about thinking. Yes, that man now abandons himself to thought, as to how he is, with a blaze of wickedness, to disappear from the scene of his iniquities. It was not remorse that now filled his brain. It was not any feeling of bitter heart-felt regret for what he had done that oppressed him now. No such feeling might possibly find a home in his heart atthe hour of success, but now when he saw and felt that he was sur- rounded by many difficulties, it hadno home inhis brain. But yet he thought that they were only difficulties that now surrounded ; he did not as yet dream of positive danger. He still reasoned, as you have heard him reason before, || namely, that if anythirg beyond mere suspicion were entertained regarding his || mode of life, he would be at once apprehended. He thought that somebody— most likely Colonel J éffery—was trying to find out something, and the fact that he, Todd, was there in his own parlour, a free man, appeared to him proof-suffi- cient that nothing was found out. “* How fallacious!”’ If he had but known that he was virtually in custody even then, as he, indeed, really was, for Fleet-street was alive with officers and the emissaries of the police. If he had but guessed so much for a moment what a wild tumult would have | been raised in his brain. But he knew nothing and suspected little. After a time from generalizing upon his condition, Todd began to be particular, and then he laid down, as it were, one proposition or fact which he intended should be the groundwork of all in other proceedings, That proposition was contained in the words— Bi aes t iy \ + i h \ i ; f ; L.| A ‘ ; B ,) oe | < ‘ 4 i ay he t t i} f fl i ' i! ‘ ane 4 q : * Fg he 2 M4 - ‘ i ; 3 - eg E Sha 4 - A TREE f yD) ; e' ‘ Bi ; 2 ’ : iG 3 a ae 1 ie 4 I } ft I a : i} ; Pr tg! ‘ i } 4 as , | a eg le He « ae | i # i TOTO a Sere Sieg a we = == a Ea, Lat es —————- ——— EI pe ee a — ~ * £ in ~ comicbooks.com