The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

comparative safety, her feelings almost got the better of her. It was only by a powerful effort that she could at all control them. She felt that by suddenly quitting the arm of Lupin, and making a rush for it, she might escape him, but then she did not want him to escape the consequences of his crime, for Mrs. Oakley had a woman’s sympathy with the fate even of the not very respectable Mrs. Lupin. Besides, with all the vindictive hate that he might be supposed to feel upon finding that his guilt was known, he might yet pursue her, and before she could find aid, kill her. “T must still dissemble,” she thought, “and speak this most monstrous villain fairly.” “Quite a charming morning, reverend sir,” she said. “Very,” said Lupin. “T really am afraid that I am sadly intruding upon your time, by letting you come with me.” “Oh, no—no—no.” He seemed to be getting very thoughtful, and Mrs. Oakley was portionably more and more upon her guard, for she felt convinced that if he really thought she knew anything of his guilt he would kill her. Now they emerged from the court; but it was yet rather an early hour in the morning, and but very few passengers were in the streets. The only person that was tolerably close to them was an elderly woman, and Mrs. Oakley, much as she panted for an opportunity of separating herself from Lupin, felt that the time to do so had not yet come. On they went, in the direction of Mrs. Oakley’s house, that house that she now began to feel she had so much neglected, to look after what, in the language of scripture, might truly have been termed “Strange Idols”—that home which she now looked to as a haven of safety from the terror of death itself. “How silent you are, sister,” said Lupin. “Yes, I was thinking.” “Of what?” he said, fiercely. “Of how much I should be able to take from Mr. Oakley’s till to bring to you, this day week.” “Oh! oh!” “You may depend, reverend sir, it shall be as much as possible—Of course I must be cautious, though.” “Oh, yes—yes.” They had now reached within a few paces of the comer of the street, and yet Mrs. Oakley had seen no one upon whom, from their appearance, she thought she could rely to call to for aid against the murderer. Suddenly then round the corner, there came a bulky form. The heavy tread of some one of unusual weight sounded upon the street pavement. Big Ben, the beef-eater, with his arms behind him, and in a very thoughtful mood, came pacing slowly along. As Mrs. Oakley said afterwards, her heart, at that moment, was in her mouth. She could not dissemble an instant longer with Lupin, but with a loud shriek that echoed far and wide in the streets, she suddenly sprang from him, crying— “Ben, Ben, dear strong Ben, seize this man! He is a murderer!” “Damn! Done at last!” cried Lupin. He turned to fly, but treading upon a piece of cabbage-leaf that was upon the pavement, down he fell. “Easy does it,” said Ben, and he flung himself upon the top of Lupin, spreading out his arms and legs, and;holding him by sheer weight as firmly to the pavement as though he had been nailed there. “Help, help, help! Murder! help!” shouted Mrs. Oakley. “Murder, murder, murder!” People began to flock to them from all parts. Lupin succeeded in getting a knife from his pocket, but Mrs. Oakley held him by the wrist with both hands, and in a minute more he was in the grasp of two strong men, one of whom was a police-officer, and who gloried in the job. Q90OO0GOOO CORniclooo S CO)