The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

— tie deed ee nae : - a ———- Pg ee. ~~» a eR Fy ~s an etiemeetion ee = | Cee eas 5 THE STRING OF PEARLS. « Off—off, and away,’ he muttered. ‘‘ Yes, | must be off before the dawn, The interception of this letter saves me for some few hours. Jn the morning, the colonel willsee Sir Richard Blunt, and then they will come to arrest me; but I shall be upon the German Ocean by then. Yes, the Hamburgh ship for me.” He was so near his home now that it was not worth while to call a coach. He could run to Fleet Street quicker, so off he set at a great pace till his breath failed him. _ Then he held on to a post so faint and weak, that a little child might have apprehended him. ‘‘Curse them all,’ he said. ‘‘I wish they all had but one throat, and la knife at it. All who cross me, I mean.” Time was rather am important element now in Todd's affairs, and he felt that he cauld not allow himself along period even to recover from the state of exhaust:on in which he was. After a few minutes rest, he pushed on. One of those sudden changes that the climate of this country is subject to, now took place; and although the sky had looked serene and bright, and there had been twinkling stars in the blue firmanent but a short time before, Todd began to find that his clothing was but little protection against the steady rain that commenced falling with a perseverance that threatened something lasting. ‘‘ Allis against me,” he said. ‘‘ All is against me.” He struggled on with the rain dashing in his face, and trickling, despite all his exertions {to the contrary, down his neck. Suddenly he paused, and laid his finger upon his forehead, as though a sudden thought of more than ordinary importance had come across his mind. ‘‘The turpentine!” he said. ‘“ The turpentine. Confound it, I forget the turpentine.”’ What this might mean was one of Todd’s own secrets ; but before he went home, he ran down several streets until he came to a kind of wholesale drug warehouse. He rang the bell violently. ‘¢ What is it 2” said a voice. ‘‘The small keg of turpentine that was to be sent to Mr. Todd’s in Fleet Street, is particularly wanted.” ‘© It was sent about half an hour ago. “Oh, thank you—thank you. That willdo. A wet nigth.” In a few minutes more he was at his own shop-door. CHAPTER LXXXYV. TODD RECEIVES TWO EXTRAORDINARY LETTERS, AND ACTS UPON THEM. Jouanna had had a long time to herself in Todd’s shop now. When first he left upon that expedition of murder, she had almost been afraid to stir, for she had feared he might momentarily return; but as his stay became longer and longer protracted, she plucked up courage. She began to look about her. « As-yet,” she said to herself, ‘‘ what has been done towards arriving at 4 solution of the mysteries of this dreadful place ?”’ The more she thought, the more she felt compelled to answer this inquiry in an unsatisfactory manner. What had been done? The only thing that could be said to be settled, was the fact that Todd was guilty, and that Mrs. Lovett was his accomplice. That he, by some a comicbooks.com