The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

__THE STRING OF PEARLS. — 99 oe: SO Re a Oe ep _ “Never mind that—never mind that; only you be careful, for the sake of Tobias’s very life, to keep secret that I am here.” | || _ The knocking at the door increased each moment in vehemence, and scarcely | had Sweeney Todd succeeded in getting into the cupboard along with Mrs. Ragg’s || pots and pans, and thoroughly concealed himself, when she opened the door; and, || Sure enough—Tobias, heated, tired, and looking ghastly pale—staggered into the room. Mother,” he said, “I have taken a new thought, and have come back to you.” | : “Well, [thought you would, Tobias; and a very good thing it is that you | ave.” | | “Listen to me: I thought of flying from England for ever, and of never again | setting foot upon its shores. I have altered that determination completely, and I | feel now that it is my duty to do something else.” . } “To do what, Tobias 2” | | _ “To tell all I know—to make a clean breast, mother, and, let the consequences 1! be what they may, to let justice take its course.’ | §* What do you mean, Tobias ?” | Mother, I have come to a conclusion, that what I have to tell is of such vast || importance, compared with any consequences that may arise from the petty || robbery of the candlestick, which you know of, that I ought not to hesitate a | || moment in revealing everything.’ * i Fk | || “But, my dear Tobias, remember that that is a dreadful secret, and one that || must be kept.” | |} . “St cannot matter—it cannot matter; and, besides, it is more than probable || || that by revealing what I actually know, and which is of such great magnitude, I | || nay, mother, in a manner of speaking, perchance completely exonerate you from || the consequences of that transaction. Besides, it was long ago, and the prose- || cutor may have mercy; but, be all that how it may, and be the consequences what | || they may, I must and will tell what [ now know.” | “* But what is it Tobias, that you know ?” | ‘Something too dreadful for me to utter to you alone. Go into the Temple, | mother, to some of the chambers you attend to, and ask them to come to me, | | and listen to what I have got to say. They will be amply repaid for their trouble, | || for they will hear that which may, perhaps, save their own lives.” | “He is quite gone,’ thought Mrs. Rage, “and Mr. Todd is correct ; poor | | Tobias is as mad as he can be! Alas, alas, Tobias, why con't you try to reason | yourself into a better state of mind! ‘You don’t know a bit what you are saying, | any tore than the man in the moon.” | | [know I am half mad, mother, but yet I know what 1 am saying well; so do |! not fancy that it is not to be relied upon, but go and fetch some one at once to | listen to what I have to relate.” ager | “ Perhaps,” thought Mrs. Ragg, “if I were to pretend to humour him, it would | be as well, and, while 1 am gone, Mr. Todd can speak to him.”’ pee | This was a bright idea of Mrs. Ragg’s, and she forthwith proceeded to carry it | | info execution, sayinc— Pe 2 “Well, my dear, if it must be, it must beand I will go; but I hope while 1 | || have gone, somebody will speak to you, and convince you that you ought to try to || quieé yourself.” Sines | | | || ‘These words Mrs. Ragg uttered aloud, for the special benefit of Sweeney Todd, who, she considered, would have been there to take the hint accordingly. It is | || needless to say he did hear them, and how far he profited by them, we shall || quickly perceive. ‘As for poor Tobias, he had not the remotest idea of the close | || proximity of his arch enemy; if he had, he would quickly have left. that pe : ‘| where he might well # conjecture so much danger awaited him ; for although ) || Sweeney Todd, under the circumstances, probably felt that he dared not pe || Tobias’s life, still he mivht exchange something that could place 1b , 1s power to do so shortly, with the least personal danger to himself. The door | comicbooks.com