The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

Upon this, Mr. Crotchet and the other man got into the cupboard, and a chair was placed against it; and then Sir Richard said to Johanna— “T will come in to be shaved when I know that Todd is here, and your trials will soon be over.” “To be shaved?—By him?” “Yes. But believe me there is no danger. Any one may come here now to be shaved with perfect safety. I have made such arrangements that Todd cannot take another life.” “Thank Heaven!” “Here is a letter from your friend, Miss Wilmot, which I promised her I would deliver to you. Be careful how you let Todd see it. Read it at once, and then you had better destroy it at once. I must go now; but, of course, if you should be in any danger, call upon my men in the cupboard to assist you, and they will do id at once, although it may spoil my plot a little.” “Oh! how much I owe you.” “Nay, nay, no more upon that head. Farewell now, for a brief space. We shall very soon meet again. Keep a fair and agreeable face to Todd, if you can, for I do not wish, if it can possibly be helped, anything to mar the plot I have got up for his absolute conviction upon abundant testimony.” Sir Richard shook hands with Johanna, and then hastily left the shop, for he did not wish just then to be found there by Todd, who might return at any moment. The moment he was gone Johanna eagerly opened the letter that had been brought to her, and found it to contain the following words:— My Dear Johanna,—This is a selfish letter; for as I cannot see you, I think I should go mad if I did not write to you; so I do so for the ease of my own heart and brain. For the love of Heaven, and for the love of all you hold dear in this world, get away from Todd as quickly as you can; and when I see you again, I shall have something to say to you which will give you more pleasure than ever, with my bad advice, I have given you pain. Sir Richard Blunt has kindly promised to give this to you, and you know that I am— Your ever affectionate Arabella. “Yes,” said Johanna, when she had finished the epistle. “In truth I know you are ever my affectionate Arabella, and I am most happy in such a friend. But this must not meet Todd’s eye. Ah! that footstep, I know it too well. He comes—he comes.” She had just hidden the letter, when Sweeney Todd made his appearance. “Anybody been?” he asked. “Yes, one man, but he would not wait.” “Ah, wanted to be shaved, I suppose; but no matter—no matter; and I hope you have been quiet, and not been attempting to indulge your curiosity in any way, since I have been gone. Hush! here’s somebody coming. Why, it’s old Mr. Wrankley, the tobacconist, I declare. Good-day to you, sir—shaved, I suppose? I’m glad you have come, sir, for I have been out till this moment. Hot water, Charley, directly, and hand me that razor.” Johanna, in handing Todd the razor, knocked the edge of it against the chair, and it being uncommonly sharp, cut a great slice of the wood off one of the arms of it. “What shameful carelessness,” said Todd; “I have half a mind to lay the strop over your back, sir; here you have spoilt a capital razor—not a bit of edge left upon it.” “Oh, excuse him, Mr. Todd—excuse him,” said the old gentleman; “he’s only a little lad, after all. Let me intercede for him.” “Very good, sir; if you wish me to look over it, of course I will; and, thank God, we have a stock of razors, of course, always at hand. Is there any news stirring, sir?” “Nothing that I know of, Mr. Todd, except it’s the illness of Mr. Cummings, the overseer. They say he got home about twelve to his own house, in Chancery Lane, and ever since then he has been as sick as a dog, and all they can get him to say is, ‘Oh, those pies—oh, those pies!’” “Very odd, sir.” “Very. I think Mr. Cummings must be touched in the upper story, do you know, Mr. Todd. He’s a very respectable man, but, between you and I, was never over bright.” “Certainly not, sir—certainly not. But it’s a very odd case. What pies can he possibly mean, sir? Did you call when you came from home?” “No. Ha, ha! I cant help laughing; but, ha, ha! I have come away from home on the sly, you see. The fact is, my wife’s cousin— hilloa!—I think you have cut me.” “No, no—we can’t cut anybody for three-halfpence, sir. I think I will just give you another lather, sir, before I polish you off. And so you have the pearls with you; well, how odd things come round, to be sure.” “What do you mean?” “This shaving-brush is just in a good state now. Always as a shaving-brush is on the point of wearing out, it’s the best. Charley, you will go at once to Mr. Cummings, and ask if he is any better; you need not hurry, that’s a good lad. I am not at all angry with you now. And so, sir, they think at home that you have gone after some business over the water, do they, and have not the least idea that you CORniclooo S CO)