Penny Dreadfuls, 1850 · page 256 of 396
The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 256: what you’re looking at
A restored page from Penny Dreadfuls, 1850. Page through the whole issue in the reader above.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i OPA Dre ~— en ee a ahi cpetie tate cei obe tena mt n Rae _— r : , - pees a > - ASSERT EY ORES: abt Sd * : ‘ « ~ os pet I 248 THE STRING OF PEARLS, A aa agente I Gee a eee ee Oe Ce ne ee eee a ae ee a ee “ Ha!” said Todd. 2 Both the lodging-house keeper and his wife started at the odd sound. ‘’ What was that ?” said the woman. « Only me, madam,” said Todd, “‘ I laughed slightly at that blue-bottle walk- ing on the ceiling, that’s all.’’ «What a laugh,” saic Blisset, as he left the house ; and then the lady of the mansion turning to Todd, said— ‘You are to attend to Mr. Mundell, poor man. You will find him in the front room on the second floor, poor man.” “Ts he ill, madam ?”” “Oh, T don’t know, I rather think he’s grizzling about some of his money, that’s all, but it don't matter one way or the other. They say he is as rich as a Jew, and I’ll take good care he pays enough here,” ‘«¢ Mrs. B— Mrs. B,” cried a voice from the parlour. “ Yes, captain, I’m coming.—I'm coming, captain.” The lady bounced into the breakfast-parlour and closed the door, leaving Todd to find his way up stairs as he best could. After a hideous chuckle at the thought of Mr. Blisset’s singular position in society, he commenced ascending the stairs. “He accomplished the first flight without meeting with any one, but upon the second he encountered a servant girl with a pail, and Todd gave her such a hideous glance, accompanied by such a frigtful contortion of his visage, that down went the pail, and the girl flew up stairs again, and locked herself in one of the attics. Without waiting to ascertain what effect the descent of the pail might have upon the nerves of the captain and the landlady, Todd pursued his course to the room whither he had 5een directed, and tapped at the door. ‘¢ Come in,”’ said a meek, tremulous voice. ‘* Come in.” ‘Todd opened the door, and stood in the présence of the man over whose long tried skill and habitual cunning he had obtatned sucha triumph in the affair of the pearls at Mundell Villa. John Mundell now, though, was far from looking like the John Mundell of the villa. He sat by the fire, wrapped up in a flannel dressing-gown, with a beard of portentous length. His cheeks had fallen ,in. His brow was corrugated by premature wrinkles, and the corners of his mouth were drawn down as though a look of mental distress had become quite a thing of habit with him now. ) | ‘“Who are you?” he growled out, as Todd came into the room, and with. a show of carefulness closed the door after him. ‘Who are you,eh?” | ~ “* Come to shave you, sir, and dress your hair.”’ «Ah! cried Mundell, as he gave a start. ‘‘ Where have [ heard that voice before?’ Why does it put me in mind of my loss ? My £8000! My money—my money. Am I to lose another £8000? That will make £16,000. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.” Oh dear! Whoare you? Speak, friend. Who are you ?” , «© Only a barber, sir,” said Todd, ‘ come to shave you, and dress your hair. Ain't you well, sir? Shall I call again?” | “«“No—no—no! My losses distracts me. Only the barber? ‘ Ah, yes to be sure—only the barber. I must go to court, and ask for the duke of something. Good God, yes! Iwill see all the dukes, until I find out my duke. He who had my £8000, and has left me so poor and so wretched. Oh, dear! Oh, dear, my money—my hard-earned money. Oh, gracious, if I were to lose another £8000, I should go mad—mad—mad !” « Shall I begin, sir?’ said Todd. : ‘‘ Begin? Begin what? Oh, yes, my hair; and I must be shaved too, or they won't let me inat all. I will have the pearls or my money. I will see all the dukes, and pounce upon my duke. Oh, yes, I will have the pearls or the money.” «Pearls, sir ?” said Todd, as he began to arrange the shaving apparatus he i) had brought with him. “Did you say pearls >” i |: ‘¢ Bah! what do you know about pear!s, who, I dare say, never saw one. Bah! You--a poor beggarly barber. But I will have them back, or my money. [ will peaetin hee tate a5 3 aaah pec ree tas RPC esac Nae a comicbooks.com Sesame aed Rene be emma ALT ogee sod) ordutes P sw mi =< - ‘ + : = os ‘ - af ook ee A of Se Ba Sie Ne 5 ae ~oieiell _foxrenbs-A£xm1¢ \\j TUTTI