The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 389: what you’re looking at

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

The governor at this moment made his appearance, and began to give orders as to where Mrs. Lovett should be placed. A slight change of colour came over her face, as she said— “Shall I see Todd?” “Not at present,” said the governor. “T should like to see him to forgive him; for no doubt it is to him that I owe this situation. He has betrayed me!” The look which she put on when she uttered the words “I should like to see him to forgive him,” was so truly demoniac, that it was quite clear if she did see Todd, that whether she were armed or not, she would fly upon him, and try to take his life; and although in that she might fail, there would be very little doubt but that, in the process of failure, she would inflict upon him some very serious injury. It was not likely, though, that the officials of Newgate would indulge her with an opportunity. “You had better all of you wait here,” said the governor to Mr. Crotchet, and the officers, and the cook, “until the mob is gone.” “The street is quite clear, sir,” said a turnkey. “They have taken the coach to knock it to pieces, I suppose, sir.” “And I’m done up at last!” said the coachman, wringing his hands, for he had, in fear for his own safety, made his way into the lobby of Newgate along with Mr. Crotchet; “I’m done up at last!” “Not at all,” said the governor. “We would not have lost such a prisoner as this Mrs. Lovett for the worth of fifty coaches. Every penny of your loss will be made good to you. There is a guinea, in the meantime—go home, and do not distress yourself upon the subject, my good fellow.” Upon this the coachman was greatly comforted, and with Mr. Crotchet and the officers, he left the lobby of Newgate at the same moment that Mrs. Lovett was led off into the interim of that gloomy and horrible abode. The object of the officer was now to get to the private office of Sir Richard Blunt as soon as possible, and let him know of the successful capture of Mrs. Lovett. Sir Richard, too, it will be remembered, had left a special message with the cook to repair to his office as soon as he could after his release from his bondage in Bell Yard, so that the liberated cook, who felt that he owed that liberation the advice and assistance of Sir Richard, did not scruple to obey the directions of the magistrate at once. The private office of Sir Richard, it will be recollected, was in Craven Street, at the bottom of the Stand. Upon the route there, Mr. Crotchet and the cook held a long and very serious discourse about the proceedings of Mrs. Lovett, and if the cook was able to tell the active and enterprising Crotchet much that was curious regarding the underground operations at Mrs. Lovett’s, he, in return, received some curious edifying information concerning the lady’s business connexion with Sweeney Todd, with the particulars of which the cook had been completely ignorant. By the time they reached Craven Street, therefore, the cook’s eyes were considerably opened, and many matters that had been to him extremely obscure, became all at once quite clear, so that he was upon the whole far from sorry for the companionship of the eccentric Crotchet on the road down the Strand to the magistrate’s private office. Sir Richard was at home, and anxiously expecting them, so that upon the first hint of their presence they were introduced to him, and he received the report of the officer with evident satisfaction. “Thank God,” he said, “two of the greatest malefactors the world ever saw are now in the hands of justice.” “Yes,” said Crotchet. “They are cotched.” “You may depend, all of you,” added Sir Richard, “that your conduct and great skill in exertions in this affair shall be by me communicated to the Secretary of State, who will not leave you unrewarded. Pray wait for me in the outer room, I have some private business with this gentleman.” The officers were a little surprised to hear Sir Richard Blunt call Mrs Lovett’s cook, “this gentleman;” but they of course took no notice of the circumstance while in the presence of their principal, and in a few moments the magistrate was alone with the cook. From a cupboard in his room, then Sir Richard Blunt took wine and other refreshments, and laid them before the cook, saying— “Refresh yourself, my friend; but for your own sake, as your fare has been but indifferent for some time, I beg you to be sparing.” “T will, sir. 1 owe you much—very much!” “You are free now.” “J—am—sir.” “And yet you are very unhappy.” The cook started and changed colour slightly. He filled, for himself, a glass of wine, and after drinking it he heaved a sigh, as he said— “Sir, Iam unhappy. I do not care how soon the world and I part, sir. The hope—the dream of my life has gone from me. All that I lived for—all that I cherished as the brightest expectation of joy in this world has passed away like a vapour, and left not a rack behind. I am unhappy, and better, far better, would it have been for me if Sweeney Todd had taken my life, or if by some subtle poison, Mrs. Lovett had shuffled me out of the world—I am unhappy.” “Indeed! And you really think you have nothing in this world now to live for?” “T do. But it is not a thought only. It is a knowledge—it is a fact that cannot be gainsaid or controverted, I tell you, sir, that I can never now hope to realise the happiness which was the day-dream of my existence, and which has passed from me like a dream, never —never to come again. It was in the despair contingent upon such thoughts and feelings, that I went to Mrs. Lovett and became her slave; but now I will be off far away from England, and on some foreign shore I will lay my bones.” “But, my good sir, you will be wanted on the trial of your old friend, Mrs. Lovett.” CORniclooo S CO)