The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

wait a while, I think, before I get anyone to suit me as this lad will. In London alone, without friends, an orphan, nobody to enquire after him—the very thing.” Sweeney Todd was at his door in an instant. “Hoi! hoi!” he called. Johanna looked back, and saw him beckon to her; with new hope she returned, and was again in the shop. “Hark ye, my lad,” said Todd; “I feel disposed to take you on account of your friendless condition. I feel for you, I’m an orphan myself, that’s a fact.” Here he made one of those hideous grimaces he was in the habit of indulging in when he thought he said anything particularly racy. “Yes, I’m a poor orphan myself, with nothing but my strong sense of religion to support me. I’ll take you on trial.” “T am much beholden to you, sir.” “Oh, don’t mention that; your duties will consist of minding the shop if I happen to be absent. You will have sixpence a day, but nothing else from me; for out of that, you provide yourself with food; and the cheapest and the best thing you can do is, to go always to Lovett’s, in Bell Yard, and have a pie for your dinner; you will sleep at night here in the shop, run messages, see and hear much, but if you gossip about me and my affairs, I’1] cut your throat.” “You may depend upon me, sir; I’m only too happy in being taken into the service of such a respectable gentleman.” “Respectable gentleman!” repeated Todd, as he finished stropping the razor. “Respectable”; and then he gave one of his hideous laughs, which thrilled through the very heart of Johanna, as she thought that it might have been the last noise that sounded in the ears of Mark Ingestrie in this world. Todd turned very suddenly round, and said, “Did you groan?” “T groan!” replied Johanna; “what for?” “Oh, I only thought you did, Master Charley, that’s all. See if that water on the fire is hot, and if so, bring it to me. Ha! a customer.” As Todd uttered these words, two persons entered the shop; they looked like substantial countrymen, farmers perhaps, in a good way of business; and one of them said, “Now, Mr. Barber, for a clean shave, if you please,” while the other stood at the door, as if to wait for his companion. “Certainly, sir,’ said Todd. “Pray sit down here if you please, sir; a nice day for the time of year; come from the country, sir, I suppose?” “Yes, me and my cousin; we don’t know much of London, yet.” “Indeed, sir, you ought not to leave it soon, then, I’m sure, for there is much to see, and that can’t be seen quickly; and if you live far off, it’s better to take the opportunity while you are here. Give me that soap dish, Charley.” “Yes, sir.” “Ah, to be sure,” replied the countryman, “it is; but we have brought up to the London market a number of beasts, which having sold well, we have too much money about us to risk in going to see sights.” “Indeed! you are prudent. Would you like your whiskers trimmed?” “A little, but not quite off.” There was now a pause of some moments’ duration, after which Sweeney Todd said, in a very offhand manner—“I suppose you have seen the two figures at St. Dunstan’s church strike the hour?” “Two figures?” said the one who was not being shaved, for the other would have had a mouthful of lather if he had spoken; “two figures? No—what may they be all about?” “Well,” resumed Todd, with the most indifferent air and manner in the world, “if you have not seen them, it’s quite a shame that you should not; and while I am shaving your friend, as it now only wants about five minutes to eleven, you have a good opportunity of going and getting back in time when your friend is—disposed of—what do you say to that? Charley, go with the gentleman, and show him the figures striking the hour at St. Dunstan’s. You must cross over to the other side of the way, you know, to see them properly and effectually. Don’t hurry, sir.” “Very much obliged,” said the disengaged grazier, for such he seemed to be; “but I would rather go with my friend here, when he is shaven. You can’t think what cynical remarks he makes at anything he has not seen before, so that to go with him is really always to me half the treat.” “Very good and very right,” said Todd; “I shall soon be done. I have just about finished you off, now, sir. That will do.” There was no disappointment at all visible in Todd’s manner, and the grazier rose and wiped his face on the jack-towel, that hung from a roller for the use of those whom it might concern, paid his money, and with a civil good-day to the barber, left the shop along with his friend. An awfully diabolical look came across the countenance of Sweeney Todd, as he muttered to himself, “Curses on them both! I may yet have one of them though.” “What did you say, sir?” asked Johanna. “What is that to you, you young imp?” roared Todd. “Curse you! I’ll pull out your teeth by degrees, with red-hot pincers, if you presume to listen to what I say! I’ll be the death of you, you devil’s cub.” Johanna shrank back, alarmed, and then Todd walked across his shop to the back-parlour, the door of which he carefully double- locked, after which, turning to Johanna, he said,- “You will mind the shop till I return, and if anybody comes, you can tell them that they need not wait, for I shall probably be some time gone. All you have to do is mind the place, and, hark you, no peeping nor prying about; sit still, and touch nothing, for if you do, I shall most assuredly discover it, and your punishment will be certain and perhaps terrible.” CORniclooo S CO)