The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 318: what you’re looking at

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

es ge Oe ee eee POORER Me oer Se - gathering flush was upon the face of the boy, and he could not speak. ‘What do you want?’’ said Todd. He rattled his chair as he spoke, as though he would have said, “ It is not to be shaved.” The boy was too much engaged with his own thoughts to pay much attention to Todd’s pantomime. He evidently, though, wished to say something, which he could not command breath to give utterance to. Like the ‘* Amen’’ of Macbeth, something he would fain have uttered, seemed to stick in his throat. “What is it?’ again demanded Todd, eagerly. This roused the boy. The boy, do we say. Ah, our readers have already recognised in that boy the beautiful and enthusiastic Johanna Cakley. ‘‘ There is a bill in your window = **A what ?’” Todd had forgotten the announcement regarding the youth he wanted, with a taste for piety. “‘A bili. You want a boy, sir.” “Qh,” said Todd, as the object of the visit at once thus became clear and apparent to him, ‘* Oh, that’s it.’ "€ Yes. sir.”” Todd held up his hand to his eyes, as though he were shading them from sunlight, as he gazed upon Johanna, and then, ‘n an abrupt tone of voice, he said— * You won't do.”’ ‘Thank you, sir.” She moved towards the door. Her hand touched the handle. It was not fast. The door opened. Another momen’, and she would have been gone. “Stop!” cried Todd. : She returned at once. | “You don’t look like a lad in want ofa situation. Your clothes are good— your whole appearance is that of a young gentleman. What do you mean by coming here to ask to be an errand boy ina barber’s shop? 1 don’t understand it. You had different expectations.” ‘© Yes, sir. But Mrs. Green . «‘ Mrs. who ?”’ ‘* Green, sir, my mother-in-law, don’t use me well, and I would rather go to sea, or seek my living in any way, than go back again to her: and if] <vere to come into your service, all I would ask would be, that you did not let her know where I[ was.” ““Humph! Your mother-in law, you say?” “Yes, sir. 1 have been far happier since | ran away from her, than I have been for a long time past.’’ “Ah, youranaway? Where lives she 2” ‘At Oxford. I came to London in the waggon, and at every step the lazy horses took, I felt a degree of pleasure that I was placing a greater distance between me and oppression.” ** Your own name?” “Charley Green. It was all very well as long as my father lived; but when he was no more, my mother-in-law began her ill-usage of me. I bore itas long as I could, and then [Tran away. If you can take me, Sir, I hope you will.’’ **Go along with you. dence in coming.” ‘No harm done, sir. I will try my fortune elsewhere,” Todd began sharpening a razor, as the boy went to the door again. ‘Shall I take him?’ he said to himself. “I do want some one for the short time 1 shall be here. Humph! An orphan—strange" in London. Wo one to care forhim. The very thing forme. No prying friends—nowhere to run, the ARE a rrr nner nen cae seen a re nn You won’t suit me at all. I wonder at your iImpu- = en he EE ee ue oo ah x RSENS TSA SR le ne PRET EE a TD eg no SP pe tenet emma etre te ies Se me a eearees comicbooks.com pass RE EPO es ier = —~ yes x. ITY Meenas nem NOR et ER AI TANT Tt NN ST ge ar : a = WE ok See ~~ eS . — eo io” wae ae