The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

graciously pardon me.” “And so it has come to this?” said Todd. “You see and hear that it has.” It was rather a curious coincidence, that Mrs. Lovett had threatened Todd that she would awaken public attention to his shop by the same means that Sir Richard Blunt had recommended to Johanna to use in case of any emergency—namely, throwing something through the window into the street. If Mrs. Lovett had been goaded by Todd to throw the iron through a pane of his glass, the officers of Sir Richard would quickly have made their appearance to hear her denunciation of the barber. Unhappy woman! If she had but known what the future had in store for her, that act which she threatened Todd with, and which to her imagination seemed such a piece of pure desperation, would have been the most prudent thing she could have done. But it was not to be! There was a few moments silence now between them. It was broken by Todd. “Are you mad?” he said. “No.” “Then, what, in the name of all that is devilish, has got possession of you?” “T have told you my determination. Give me twenty thousand pounds—you may profit by the odd sum—give me that amount, and I will go in peace. You know I am entitled to more; but there is no occasion for us to reckon closely. Give me the sum I seek, and you will see me no more.” “You take me by surprise. Just step into the parlour, and » “No—no.” “Why not? Do you suspect - “T suspect nothing; but I am sure of much. Now, for me to set foot within your parlour would be tantamount to the commission of suicide, and I am not yet come to that—you understand me?” Todd understood her. His hand strayed to a razor that lay partially open close to him. Mrs. Lovett raised the iron. “Beware!” she said. Todd shrunk back. “Pho! pho! this is child’s play,” he said. “You and I, Mrs. Lovett, ought to be above all this—far above it. You want your half of the proceeds of our joint business, and I must confess, at the moment, that the demand rather staggered and distressed me; but the more I think of it, the more reasonable it appears.” “Very well. Give it to me, then.” “Why, really now, my dear Mrs. Lovett, you quite forget that all our joint savings are in the hands of Mr. Brown.” Todd glared at her as though he would read her very soul. She felt that he more than suspected she knew all, and she adopted at once the bold policy of avowing it. “T do not forget anything that it is essential should be remembered,” she said; “and among other things, I know that, by forging my name, you have withdrawn the whole of the money from the hands of Brown. It is not worth our while to dispute concerning your motives for such an act. Let it suffice that I know it, and that I am here to demand my due.” “Ha! ha!” “You laugh?” “T do, indeed. Why, really now—ha! ha!—this is good; and so it is; this withdrawal of the money from Brown that has made all this riot in your brain? Why, I withdrew it from him simply because I had certain secret information that his affairs were not in the best order; and from a fear, grounded upon that information, that he might be tempted to put his hand into our purse, if he found nothing in his own.” “Well, well; it matters not what were your reasons. Give me my half. It will be then out of your custody, and you will have no anxiety concerning it, while I can have no suspicions.” “In a moment - “You will?” “Tf I had it here; but I have re-invested the whole, you see, and cannot get it at a moment’s notice. I have moved it from the hands of Brown to those of Black.” DOWODOOOOOO CORniclooo S CO)