The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

ze THE STRING OF PEARLS. ae er Jeffery, and the colonel at the captain, for some moments, in complete silence. At leneth the latter said,— | e __ “Ts a very extraordinary thing that the cog should come here if he missed lis master somewhere else. I never heard’of such a thing.” te “ Nor l either,” said Ford. “It is extraordinary ; so. extraordinary that if I had not seen it, I would not have believed. I dare say you will find him in the } next watch-house.”’ | ee eae The dog had watched the countenance of all parties during this brief dialogue, — and twice or thrice he had interrupted it by a strange howling ery. “Vl tell you what it is? said the barber; “if that beast stays here, Pll be the death of him. I hate dogs—detest them; and I tell you, as I. told you ‘before, if you value him at all, keep him away from me.” y | * You say you directed the person you describe to us where to find a spectacle jj maker nemed Oakley. We happen to know that he was going in search of such {1a person, and as he had property of value about him, we will go there and as- i certain if he reached his destination.”” ee “ It is in Fore-street—a little shop with two windows ; you cannot miss it.” The dog when he saw they were about to leave, grew furious; and it was with — the greatest difficulty they succeeded, by main force, in setting him out ‘of the shop, and dragging him some short distance with theia, but then he contrived to eet free of the handkerchief that held him, and darting back, he sat down at Sweeny Todd’s door, howling most piteously. : They had no resource but to leave him, intending fully to call as they came back from Mr. Oakley’s ; and, as they looked behind them, they, saw that Hector was collecting a crowd round the barber’s door, and it was a singular thing to see a number of persons surrounding the dog, while he to all appearance, appeared to be making efforts to explain Something to the assemblage. They walked on until they reached the spectacle-maker’s, there tney paused ; for they all of a sudden recollected that the mission that Mr. Thornhill had to execute there was of a very delicate nature, and one by no means to be lightly executed, or even so much as mentioned, probably, in the hearing of Mr. Oakley himself. “ We must not be so hasty,” said the colonel. | & But what amIco do? J sail to-night; at least I have to go round to hiver- pool with my vessel.” Do not then call at Mr. Oakley’s at all at present; but leave me to ascertain the fact quietly and secretly.” | “My anxiety for Thornhill will scarcely permit me to do so; but I suppose I must, and if you write me a letter to the Royal Oak Hotel, at Liverpool, it will be sure to reach me, that is to say, unless you find Mr. Thornhill himself, in whica tase I need riot by any meas give you so much trouble.” “You may depend upon me. My friendship for. Mr. Thornhill, and gratitude, as you know, for the great service he has rendered to us all, will induce me to do my utmost to discover him; and, but that I know he set his heart upon performing the message he had to deliver accurately and well, I should recommend that we at once go into this house of Mr. Oakley’s, only that the fear of compromising the young lady—who is in the case, and who will have quite enough to bear, poo,. thine, of her own grief—restrains me.” After some more conversation of a similar nature, they decided that this. should be the plan adopted. They made an unavailing call at the watch-house of the clis- tiict, bein informed there that no such person, nor any one answering the descrip- tion of Mr. Thornhill had been engaged in any disturbance, or apprehended by any of the constables; avid this only involved the thing in greater mystery than ever, — so they went back to try and recover the dog, but that was a matter easier to be geuirec and determined upon than executed, for threats and petsuasions were alike ineffectual. 4 | * Hector would not stir an inch from the barber's door. There he sat with the. hat by his side, a most melancholy and strangeé-looking spectacle, aud a most efficient guard was he for that hat, and it was evident, that while he chose to SEPT MRS toh La i ne aeRO pA EBT at pt Pa ee ee a My at En Neale Oa Ma ee comicbooks.com