The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

ape te ee aay en IT ee NEE Ee PR a SE ERLE ser On SN D PAAR Sens eee oo LD ences RAIA OPN OLED ELD EDEL REL LLELEL ELLIS LIA A ee aaa ete Sat Se a ee penne peasinhcnies oe ns cae Pema oe — eT oe, Qh, I am so glad.” . ra | { Arabella looked back, and the T emple gent kissed his dilapidated glove. | { | “Qh, Johanna,” she said, “ how could you tell me he was not following, when | J | | | | | esapewaiehannneraisnescoonsntaseitenot peice tipaiialp sinning la OT ie ES there he is.” «What, Todd?” BUSUSTR || ‘©No, That impertinent ugly puppy with the soiled cravat.” « And you meant him ?” “ To be sure.” ; “ Qh, whata relief, I was flying on, fancying that Todd was in pursuit of as, | and yet my judgment ought at once to have told me that that could not be the ie case, knowing nothing of us. How our fears overcome all reason, Do you a know that strange-leoking young man ?” | “ Know him? Not I.’ ug “ Well, my darling,” said the gent, reaching to within a couple of paces of || Arabella, ‘how do you'do to-day ?—a-hem ! Are you going far? Ain't you afraid || that somebody will run away with such a pretty gal as you—’pon soul, you are a charmer,’’ . “ Cross,” whispered Arabella, and the two young girls at once crossed Fleet | Street. It was not then so difficult an operation to get from one side of that | thoroughfare to the other as itis now. The gent was by no means disconcerted ‘| at this evident wish to get out of his way but he crossed likewise, and com- ‘| menced a series of persecution, which suc animals call gallantry, and which, to | any respectable young female, are specially revolting. | | * Now, my deay,”’ he said, “St. Dunstan’s is just going to strike the hour, OA — rere ene a cr waaay = —————— = ___ | and you will see the clubs hit the bells if you look, and I shall expect a kiss when it’s all over.”’ ‘‘ You are impertinent,” said Johanna, ‘Come, that’s a good joke—why, you little whipper snapper, | suppose you came out to take care of your sister. Here’s a penny to go and buy yourself a cold pie at Mrs. Lovett’s. I'll see to your sister while you are gone, Oh, you need not look so wild about it.: Did you never hear of a gent talking to a pretty gal in the street ?”’ ‘‘ Often,’ said Johanna, “ but I never heard of a gentleman doing so,”’ “ Upon my word, you are as sharp as a needle, so I’ll just pull your ears to teach you better manners, you young rascal—come-—come, it’s no use your kicking.” “¢ Help—help !’’ cried Arabella. They were now just opposite the principal entrance to the Temple, and as Arabella cried “help,” who should emerge from under the gateway but Ben the Beef Eater. The fact is, that he was on his way to the l'ower just previous to the meeting with Colonel Jeffery and '[obias. Arabella, who had twice or thrice seen him. at the Uakley’s, knew him at once. ‘© Oh, sir,” she cried, ‘I am Johanna’s friend, Miss Wilmot, and this—this gent won’t leave me and my cousin here alone.”’ The gent made an effort to escape, but Ben caught him by the hinder part of ET EE Ee een his apparel, and held him tight. ‘< Is this him 2” ““ Yes—yes.’” ‘Oh dear no—oh dear no, my good sir. Et’s that fellow there, with the white hat- There he goes, up Chancery Lane. My dear sir, you are quite mis- taken; I wanted to protect the young lady, and as for the lad, bless his heart, J—oh dear, it wasn’t me.” Still holding the gent by the first grasp he had taken of him, Ben suddenly crossed the road to where a parish pump stood, at the corner of Bell Yard, and holding him under the spout with one hand, he worked the handle with the other, despite the shrieks and groans of his victim, who in a few moments was rendered so limp and wet, that when Ben let him go, he fell into the sink below the pump,and there lay, until some small boys began pelting him. During the te ewe - + RL | Ne Am NOD Pee SONI SS Se en A Nene = — = = Bo = = —_— “ . —— - _— = s - comicbooks.com