The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

sturdy fellows. Todd had quite a smile upon his face, as he received them. “This way,” he said—“this way. I hope you have been lucky to-day, and have had plenty of work.” “No, master,” said one, “we haven’t, I’m sorry to say.” “Indeed,” added Todd. “Well, I am very glad I have a little job for you. You see these two little boxes. You can carry one, each of you, and I will go with you and show you where to.” One of the porters raised one of the boxes, and then he gave a long whistle, as he said— “T say, master is there penny pieces or paving stones in this here, it’s deuced heavy, that it is.” “And so is this, Bill,” said the other. “Oh, my eyes, ain’t it. There must be a quarter of a pound of goose feathers in here.” “Ha! ha!” said Todd, “How funny you both are.” “Funny?” “Yes, to be sure, but come. This will put strength into you if you had none before.” He took a bottle and glass from a cupboard, and gave each of the men a full measure of such frightfully strong spirits, that they winked again, and the tears came into their eyes, as they drank it. “Now shoulder the little boxes, and come along,” he said, “and I tell you what Ill do. If you step in here in the evening, and I should happen to be at home, I’ Il give each of you a shave for nothing, and polish you off in such a manner, that you will recollect it as long you live.” “Thank you, master—thank you. We’ll come.” One of the porters helped his companion with the chest on to his back and head, and Todd then lent a helping hand with the other. “Charley,” he said. “I shall be back in a quarter of an hour.” Away he went, preceding the porter by some half dozen steps only, but yet ever and anon keeping a wary eye upon the two chests, which contained cash, and jewels, sufficient to found a little kingdom. If he got clear off with those two chests only, he felt that he would not give himself much uneasiness about what was left behind. But was Todd going to trust these two porters from out his own immediate neighbourhood, with the secret of the destination of the boxes? No, He was by far too crafty for that. After proceeding some distance, he took them round the unfrequented side of St. Paul’s Church yard, and stopping suddenly at the door of a house that was to let, he said— “This will do.” “In here, master?” “This will do. Put them down.” The porters complied, and Todd sat down upon one of the boxes, as he said— “How much?” “A shilling each of us, master.” “There’s double the money, and now be off, both of you, about your business.” The porters were rather surprised, but as they considered themselves sufficiently paid, they made no objection, and walked off with considerable alacrity, leaving Todd, and his treasure in the street. “Now for a coach,” he muttered. “Now for a coach. Here boy” —to a ragged boy who was creeping on at some short distance. “Earn a penny by fetching me a coach directly.” The boy darted off, and in a very few minutes brought Todd a hackney coach. The boxes, too, were got upon it by the united effort of Todd, the coachman, and the boy, and then, and not till then did Todd give the correct address of the wharf in Thames Street from which the Hamburgh ship was going, and in which he fully intended to embark that night. The ship was advertised to sail at the turn of the tide, which would be about four o’clock in the morning. All this did not take long to do. The coach ambled along Thames Street, but Todd was not aware that Mr. Crotchet had got up behind the vehicle, but such was the fact, and when the lumbering old machine stopped at the wharf, that gentleman got down, and felt quite satisfied with the discovery he had made. He’s a-trying of it on, soliloquised Mr. Crotchet in the bolting line, but it ain’t no manner of a go. He’ll swing, and he can’ help it if he were to book himself to the moon, and there was a coach or a ship as went all the way, and no stoppages. “Mem,” said Todd to himself. “To go to Colonel Jeffery’s, and murder Tobias—Ha!” “Lor’!” said the coachman, “was that you, sir?” “What do you mean?” “Why, as made that horrid sort of noise.” “Mind your business, my friend, and tell me if you can take me quickly to Islington, for I have no time to lose.” “Like the wind, sir, you can go with these here ’osses,” replied the coachman, “did you ever see sich bits 0’ blood, sir, one on ’em’s blind, and t’other on ’em is deaf, which is advantages as you don’t get in one pair.” “Advantages?” “Lor’ bless you, yes, sir. The blind ’un goes unknown quick, ’cos you sees, sir, he thinks he’s only in some dark place, and in course he wants to get out on it as soon as he can.” “Indeed?” “Yes, sir, and the deaf ’un, he goes quick too, ’cos as he hears nothink, he thinks as there never was sich a quiet place as he’s go’s, CORniclooo S CO)