The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

loser by the affair.” “Very well,” said I. “Will you give me this deed as a security that you will keep your word?” “Yes,” she replied, drawing forth the deed—a small parchment—from her bosom. “Take it; and now let me out. You shall be handsomely rewarded.” “Ah!” said I; “but you must allow me first to settle this matter with my employers. You must really be mad. We do not hear of young ladies carrying deeds and parchments about them when they are in their senses.” “You do not mean to betray me?” she said, springing up wildly and rushing towards the deed, which I carefully placed in my breast coat-pocket. “Oh dear no! but I shall retain the deed, and speak to your brother about this matter.” “My God! my God!” she exclaimed, and then she sank back on her bed, and in another moment she was covered with blood. She had burst a blood-vessel. I sent for a surgeon and physician, and they both gave it as their opinion that she could not be saved, and that a few hours would see the last of her. This was the fact. She was dead before another half hour, and then I sent to the authorities for the purpose of burial; and, producing the certificate of the medical men, I had no difficulty, and she was buried all comfortably without any trouble. e® 8 @ “Well,” thought I, “this is a very comfortable affair; but it will be more profitable than I had any idea of, and I must get my first reward first, and if there should be any difficulty, I have the deed to fall back upon.” He came down next day, and appeared with rather a long face. “Well,” said he, “how do matters go on here?” “Very well,” said I, “how is your throat?” I thought he cast a malicious look at me, as much as to imply he laid it all to my charge. “Pretty well,” he replied; “but I was ill for three days. How is the patient?” “As well as you could possibly wish,” said I. “She takes it kindly, eh? Well, I hardly expected it—but no matter. She’Il be a long while on hand, I perceive. You haven’t tried the frightening system yet, then?” “Hadn’t any need,” I replied, putting the certificate of her burial in his hand, and he jumped as if he had been stung by an adder, and turned pale; but he soon recovered, and smiled complaisantly as he said— “Ah! well, I see you have been diligent, but I should have liked to have seen her, to have asked her about a missing deed; but no matter.” “Now about the two hundred pounds,” said I. “Why,” said he, “I think one will do when you come to consider what you have received, and the short space of time and all: you had a year’s board in advance.” “T know I had; but because I have done more than you expected, and in a shorter time, instead of giving me more, you have the conscience to offer me less.” “No no, not the—the—what did you call it?—we’ll have nothing said about that—but here is a hundred pounds, and you are well paid.” “Well,” said I, taking the money, “I must have five hundred pounds at any rate, and unless you give it me, I will tell other parties where a certain deed is to be found.” “What deed?” “The one you were alluding to. Give me four hundred more, and you shall have the deeds.” After much conversation and trouble he gave it to me, and I gave him the deed, with which he was well pleased, but looked hard at the money, and seemed to grieve at it very much. Since that time I have heard that he was challenged by his sister’s lover, and they went out to fight a duel, and he fell—and died. The lover went to the continent, where he has since lived. ®2e9 eo “Ah,” said Sweeney Todd, “you have had decidedly the best of this affair: nobody gained anything but you.” “Nobody at all that I know of, save distant relations, and I did very well; but then, you know, I can’t live upon nothing: it costs me something to keep my house and cellar, but I stick to business, and so I shall as long as business sticks to me.” Q9ODOOGOOO CORniclooo S CO)