The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

eee THE STRING OF PEARLS. 253 “Yes, [—J—think I have about seven shillings or so.” “That willdo. Much obliged to you,,madam—I mean, my dear Mrs.B. Ah, | if you would but smother Blisset, so that I might have the joy of making you | Mrs. Captain Coggan, what a happy man I should be,” : Todd tapped at the door, “What was that?” cried the captain in evident alarm: “Is it Blisset 2?” : “No, captain—oh, no: I should like to see him interrupt me, indeed. A pretty thing that J cannot do what I like in the house ] keep. Comein.” | Todd just opened the door far enough to introduce his hideous head; and having done so, stared at the pair with such a selection of frightful physiogno- mical changes, that they both sat transfixed with horror. At length Todd broke the silence by saying— | * He’s frightfully nervous.” “* What ?—what ?—who ?” gasped the captain. ‘‘ What ?”’ repeated Mrs. Blisset. “ What’s his name, upstairs, that I was sent for to shave just now.” 7 “What, Mr. Mundell. Ah, poor man, he has been in a very nervous state |. ever since he has been here. He continually talks of a heavy loss he has had.” | “‘ Yes,” said Todd, “ I suppose he means you to pay me.’’ “Me?” “Yes, ma’am. He says he is too nervous and excited for me to shave him just now, but he has borrowed a razor from me and says he will shave himself in the | course of an hour or so, and send it back to me.”’ ‘Qh, very well. Your money will be sent with the razor, no doubt; for al~ || though Mr. Mundell is so continually talking of his losses, they tell me he is as | rich as a Jew.’ : Thank you, ma’am. Good morning; good morning, sir.” The captain cast a supercilious glance upon Todd, but did not deign to make the remotest reply to the mock civility with which he was bidden good morning. No one stands so much upon his dignity, as he whose title to any at all is ex- ceedingly doubtful. The female heart, however, is mollified by devotion, and Mrs, Blisset returned the adieu of Todd. When he got into the passage, he uttered one of his extraordinary laughs, and then opening the street door, he let him- self out. Todd by no means hurried back to Fleet Street, but as he walked along he now and then shrugged his shoulders and shook his huge hands, which, to those acquainted with his peculiarities, would have been sufficient indications of the fact that he was enjoying himself greatly. Atlength he spoke— “ So—so—what a Providence we have, after all, watching over us. The mo- ment I am in any real danger as regards the string of pearls, up starts some cir- cumstance that enables me to ward it off. Well, well, some day I almost think I shall turn religious and build a church, and endow it. Ha!” : Toad was so tickled at the idea of his building a church and endowing it, that he stopped at the corner of Milford Lane, to enjoy an unusual amount of laughter ; as he did so he saw no other than Mrs. Ragg; slowly coming towards him. “Ah,” he said, ‘§ Tobias’s motlier, The mother of the Tobias that was !——I will avoid her.” : He darted on, and was through Temple Bar before Mrs, Ragg could make up her mind which way to run, for run she fully intended to do, when she saw Todd standing at the corner of Milford Lane. But she had no occasion for hurrying from him, as he walked in the direction of his shop as speedily as possible. Although he was perfectly satisfied with the clever manner he had ridded him- self of the usurer, who probably might have been a source of annoyance to him, and who might eventually have been the means of bringing him to justice, he thought that he might be losing opportunitie sof making more victims for the accumula- | | tion of his ill-gotten wealth. comicbooks.com