The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

ot NR ha A A PRT ENR NP AR Tat gt teat ast t ene CS AACS ALTE SOLON a a a | THE STRING OF PEARLS. scssemahireertn see DEO A OL a A OS oma a ae NI NO OD ASE pe cystegearntnipetl ETI AE — a ep Er a re iOS RINE warenayecs ese meee oe. “Tnd is ther! what has he done?” “e “Nothing atl, and that’s the very reason. I had to take down the shutters “thir ll me myself this morning, and what do you think for? He had the coolness to te ie couldn’t take down the shutters this morning, or sweep out the shop, because ; the toothache.” Taaec onan, father,? said Johanna, as she bustled’ about and got the break- st ready ; “a very poor excuse.” : " realy indeed ! “but his month is up to-day, and I must get rid of him. But I suppose I shall have no end of bother with your mother, because his aunt belongs to Mr. Lupin’s congregation ; but as sure as this is the 20th day of August “Tt is the 20th day of August,” said Johanna, as she sunk into a chair and burst into tears. “It is, it is! J thought I could have controlled this, but 1 cannot, father, I cannot. It was that which made me late. I knew mother was out; I knew that I ought to be down attending upon you, and T was praying to Heaven for strength to do so because this was the 20th of August. Johanna spoke these words incoherently, and atidst sobs, and when she had finished them, she leant her sweet face upon her small hands, and wept like a child. | The astonishment, not unmingled with positive dismay, of the old spectacle-— maker, was vividly depicted on his countenance, and for some minutes he sat per- rectly aghast, with his hands resting on his knees, and looking in the face of his | beautiful child—that is to say, as much as he could see of it between those | hitle taper fingers that were spread upon ite-as if he were newly awakened from some dream. | “Good God, Johanna!” he said at length, “what is this? My dear child, what | has happened ? ‘Tell me, my dear, unless you wish to kill me with grief.” | “ You shall know, father,’ she said. ‘I did not think to say a word about it, | but considered I had strength enough of mind to keep my sorrows in my own | breast, but the effort has been too much for me, and I have been compelled to yield. If you had not looked so kindly on me—if I did not know that you loved | me as you do, I should easily have kept my secret, but, knowing that much, 1 — BEL = a a FS ury en. ~ . cannot. | “My darling,” said the old man, “you are right, there; I do love you. What — | would the world be to me without you? There was a time, twenty years ago, | ke when your mother made up much of my happiness, but of late, what with Mr. ey Lupin, and psalm-singing, and tea-drinking, I see very little of her, and what little — Ke | and I'll soon put it to rights. I don’t belong to the city trainbands for nothing.” “Hather, I know that your affection would do all for me that it is possible to do, but you cannot recall the dead to life; and if this day passes over and I see him not, nor hear from him, L know that, instead of finding a home for me whom he > loved, he has in the effort to do so found a grave for himself, He said he would, he said he would.” , Here she wrung her hands, and wept agam, and with such a bitterness of ancuish _ bes the old spectacle-maker was at his wit’s end, and knew not what on earth to oO or say. “My dear, my dear,” he cried, * who is he? I hope you don’t mean——’ c aa father, hush! : on the name that is hovering on your lips, but something seems even now to whisper to me he is no more, and & 60, 9 nothing of him, father, but that which is good.” nr VEN, snp acer en Mark Ingestrie.” “1 do, and if he had a thousand faults, he at : lalla ’ least ovea me; he loved me truly “ My dear,” said the old spectacle-maker, © you know that I wouldn't for all the world say anything to vex you, nor will I; bué tell hat it | day more than any other so gloomy to you.” me what it is that makes this “{T will, father; you shall hear. It was on this da met; it was in the Temple-garden, and he had just si ana Pabtiened by Ke. Licyd.. ¥ ee A tO A Se: | | I do see is not very satisfactory. Tell me, my darling, what it is that vexes you, | | | two years ago that we last ad a stormy interview wik’ Sa a A a an ie ic bel RE ow ath Seen ds ne ae Ui comicbooks.com %