The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

the dainty morsels within. “Why, Tobias Ragg,” said a young man, with his mouth full of pie, “where have you been since you left Mr. Snow’s in Paper- buildings? * I have not seen you for some days.” “No,” said Tobias, “I have gone into another line; instead of being a lawyer, and helping to shave the clients, I am going to shave the lawyers now. A two-penny pork, if you please, Mrs. Lovett. Ah! who would be an emperor, if he couldn’t get pies like these?—eh, Master Clift?” “Well, they are good; of course we know that, Tobias; but do you mean to say you are going to be a barber?” “Yes, Iam with Sweeney Todd, the barber of Fleet Street, close to St. Dunstan’s.” “The deuce® you are! well, I am going to a party to-night, and I’ll drop in and get dressed and shaved, and patronise your master.” Tobias put his mouth close to the ear of the young lawyer, and in a fearful sort of whisper said the one word—“Don’t.” “Don’t! what for?” Tobias made no answer; and, throwing down his twopence,* scampered out of the shop as fast as he could. He had only sent a message by Sweeney Todd in the neighbourhood; but, as he heard the clock strike twelve, and two penny pieces were lying at the bottom of his pocket, it was not in human nature to resist running into Lovett’s and converting them into a pork pie. “What an odd thing!” thought the young lawyer. “I'll just drop in at Sweeney Todd’s now on purpose, and ask Tobias what he means. I quite forgot, too, while he was here, to ask him what all that riot was about a dog at Todd’s door.” “A veal!” said a young man, rushing in; “a twopenny veal, Mrs. Lovett.” When he got it he consumed it with voracity, and then noticing an acquaintance in the shop, he whispered to him,— “T can’t stand it any more. I have cut® the spectacle-maker—Johanna is faithless, and I know not what to do.” “Have another pie.” “But what’s a pie to Johanna Oakley? You know, Dilki, that I only went there to be near the charmer. Damn the shutters and curse the spectacles! She loves another, and I’m a desperate individual! I should like to do some horrible and desperate act. Oh, Johanna, Johanna! you have driven me to the verge of what do you call it—I’ll take another veal, if you please, Mrs. Lovett.” “Well, I was wondering how you got on,” said his friend Dilki, “and thinking of calling upon you.” “Oh! it was all right—it was all right at first; she smiled upon me.” “You are quite sure she didn’t laugh at you?” “Sir! Mr. Dilki!” “T say, are you sure that instead of smiling upon you she was not laughing at you?” “Am I sure? Do you wish to insult me, Mr. Dilki? I look upon you as a puppy, sir—a horrid puppy.” “Very good; now I am convinced that the girl has been having a bit of fun at your expense.—Are you not aware, Sam, that your nose turns up so much that it’s enough to pitch you head over heels? How do you suppose that any girl under forty-five would waste a word upon you? Mind, I don’t say this to offend you in any way, but just quietly, by way of asking a question.” Sam looked daggers, and probably he might have attempted some desperate act in the pie-shop, if at the moment he had not caught the eye of Mrs. Lovett, and he saw by the expression on that lady’s face, that anything in the shape of a riot would be speedily suppressed, so he darted out of the place at once to carry his sorrows and his bitterness elsewhere. It was only between twelve and one o’clock that such a tremendous rush and influx of visitors came to the pie-shop, for although there was a good custom the whole day, and the concern was a money-making one from morning till night, it was at that hour principally that the great consumption of pies took place. Tobias knew from experience that Sweeney Todd was a skilful calculator of the time it ought to take to go to different places, and accordingly since he had occupied some portion of that most valuable of all commodities at Mrs. Lovett’s, he arrived quite breathless at his master’s shop. There sat the mysterious dog with the hat, and Tobias lingered for a moment to speak to the animal. Dogs are great physiognomists; and as the creature looked into Tobias’s face he seemed to draw a favourable conclusion regarding him, for he submitted to a caress. “Poor fellow!” said Tobias. “I wish I knew what had become of your master, but it made me shake like a leaf to wake up last night and ask myself the question. You shan’t starve, though, if I can help it. I haven’t much for myself, but you shall have some of it.” As he spoke, Tobias took from his pocket some not very tempting cold meat, which was intended for his own dinner, and which he had wrapped up in not the cleanest of cloths. He gave a piece to the dog, who took it with a dejected air, and then crouched down at Sweeney Todd’s door again. Just then, as Tobias was about to enter the shop, he thought he heard from within, a strange shrieking sort of sound. On the impulse of the moment he recoiled a step or two, and then, from some other impulse, he dashed forward at once, and entered the shop. The first object that presented itself to his attention, lying upon a side table, was a hat with a handsome gold-headed walking cane lying across it. The armchair in which customers usually sat to be shaved was vacant, and Sweeney Todd’s face was just projected into the shop from the back parlour, and wearing a most singular and hideous expression. “Well, Tobias,” he said, as he advanced, rubbing his great hands together, “well, Tobias! so you could not resist the pie-shop?” “How does he know?” thought Tobias. “Yes, sir, I have been to the pie-shop, but I didn’t stay a minute.” “Hark® ye, Tobias! the only thing I can excuse in the way of delay upon an errand is for you to get one of Mrs. Lovett’s pies; that I CORniclooo S CO)