The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

“Well, my dear madam, whatever it is that has procured me the honour and the pleasure of this visit, | am sure I am very glad of it, and shall not quarrel with it. He! he! Nice weather, Mrs. Lovett.” “Very.” “Ah, madam—ah, it was a world of pities to disturb the investments. It was indeed. But ladies will be ladies.” “Sir? “I—I merely said ladies will be ladies you know. And indeed—he! he!—I fully expected the interesting ceremony had come off before now, I did indeed and I should have wagered a new hat.” “Mr. Brown, what are you talking about?” “About?” “Yes, what do you mean?” “Why, ah—ah—that is—the—ah—ah—about—concerning—the—my dear madam, if I have inadvertently trodden upon your sensibilities, I—I really—” “You really what?” Mr. Brown looked perplexed. Mrs. Lovett looked a little furious. “Sir,” she said. “Before I explain the cause of my visit to you, I insist upon knowing to what all your mysterious hints and remarks allude. Speak freely and plainly, sir.” “Well then, madam, when Mr. Todd was last here, he said that you had at last consented to reward years of devotion to you by becoming his, and that the ceremony which was to make him a happy man by uniting him to so much excellence and beauty, was to come off almost immediately, and that that was the reason you had both agreed to withdraw all the money I had in such snug and comfortable safe investments for you both. He! he! he!” GBOOOOOOOO CORniclooo SS SO)