The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

} z ee op || 356 THE STRING OF PEARLS. | the chain of revenge which Todd cherished against her in his cruel and diet. | ‘secret heart. While he was philosophising about guilty associations pro-!| . th ‘ducing a feeling of mutual distrust, he should have hkewise added that they wl soon produce mutual hatred. Fora few moments they looked at each other—that | guilty pair—with expressions that sought to read each other’s souls; but they /were both tolerable adepts in the art of dissimulation. The silence was the by most awkward for Todd, so ke broke it first by saying— | he “ You are satisfied, let me hope ¢” | ‘‘T will be.” “ You shall be.”’ | “fet ‘©Yes, when I have my money. Henceforward, Todd, we will have much | ~ “y0 shorter reckonings, so shall we keep much longer friends. If you keep, in— eX ‘some secret place, your half of the proceeds of our—-our——”’ | | ‘Business,’ said Todd. . | Mrs. Lovett made asort of gulph of the word, but she adopted it. | | “Tf you, I say, keep your half of the proceeds of our business, and I keep | | do mine, I don't see how it is possible for us to quarrel.” | “sh ‘© Quite impossib‘e.” 3 M Shee He began to strop a razor diligently, and to try its edge across his thumb | | nail. Mrs. Lovett’s passion—that overwhelming passion which had inauced | ‘ her to enter Todd’s shop, and defy him toa species of single combat of wits— foes had in a great measure subsided, giving place to a calmer and more reflective | | ver} | feeling. One of the results of that fecling was a self-question to the effect of, | la “What will be the result of an open quarrel with Todd?” Mrs, Lovett shook — oep alittle at the answer she felt forced to give herself to this question. That : answer was continued in two words—mutual destruction! ‘Yes, that would be — ‘ the consequence. | | | “Todd,” she said in a softened tone, “ if I had forged your name, and gone 'to the city and possessed myself of all the money, what would you have thought ? se ‘Tell me that.”’ | “Just what you thought—that it was the most scandalous breach of faith ~ that could possibly be; but an explanation ought to put that right.” | it has: Or “Then you are satisfied ?” ‘Tl am. At what time shall we go together, to-morrow morning, to Mr, Black’s in Abchurch Lane ?” ‘Name your own time,” said Todd with the most assumed air in the world. ‘¢ Black lives at Ballam Hill, and don’t get to business until ten ; but any time after that will do.” «© T will come here at ten, then.’ “So be it. Ah, Mrs. Lovett, how charming it is to be able to explain away these little difficulties of sentiment. Never trust to appearances. How very deceitful they are apt to be.” | There was an air of candour about Todd, that might have deceived the devil himself. Notwithstanding all his hideous ugliness— notwithstanding his voice was of the Jowest order. and notwithstanding that frightful laugh, and that obliquity of vision that seemed peculiar to himself in its terrible malignancy, there was a plausibility about his manner, when he pleased, that was truly astonishing. Even Mrs. Lovett, with all her knowledge of the man, felt that it was a hard struggle to disbelieve his representations. What must it have been to those who knew him not? | ‘©No,” said Mrs. Lovett, ‘‘ it don’t do to trust to appearances.”’ She still held the iron in her hand. ‘¢ Nor,” added Todd, giving the razor he had been putting an edge to, a flou- Rae. os a ee = PSR oS tT - OE re. sw oo a i ee ae ees —_ a eee . eae - a, ik acta ia Thal OE IGN ME GR Og eS eee 9 - ne — ; 5S . ee ~- = ; ere eie is — = : eS = —_ : ~ "3 2 = " - ae ; omen é x A a ae ne aan —<ite 2 et Ay Sm ae pie Sil sb mo ae = - ee = na 3 Se ee oe ee = ae ee es ~ — = 3 : ° ae ~ me ~ ~~ - meric. ate “on - end oe Aa emt eam ae = me RES : sa mi AC fe == = Se Ne pe SS =e Ce ee a 2 af ae MEI - cs 2 ws Se ee “ae - > Sen = Se ee oe "| F .- © ne i ae = niin aT — ~ —- a eae --— cn Paes — — = ~ 3; - . ee aes = oe met Thane | — . o < : iit: — = . eee Be mers See yc Rese SS at Se oo : REE ESR Te = at sa = en et ec re - a aeiiedns ies . So - ———*- +++ = . te 3 S = a e a es Ft St = ol — — tp ee: 2 " caer Bai sions ‘ R - rs alee es ~ ae — = ON EE a a Em ge BAG sa apres = a Pa nl a at — 2 ee we = ? 7 . - - mlb a o 5 Rs a — * = : a — ee as FS As ee eS SRE lta . = : — = ee ==. Sanaa et eel oe —— 6-2 See 2a 4 - - —. — > <9 = ~ — ~ —— a rita i EMRE ca _ = ee ee Fe her SS ne RR = = = SSS Sa == = = eae ae ss ari = > rs = <= = = : - - 7 - + mee 0 ties a — eee en oe MT tiene + reer = aie SSS eee == Se rt a Sa ee =—— Ss - = =z —— a jandaeeeenen : ee : — =: — = — = <= Se — ee ee ee = EE Lae dae eT PRE agree | HA allt rish, ‘‘nor will it do to listen always to the dictates of compassion; for if we | HEN Re EE did, what miseries might we inflict upon ourselves. Now, here is a cure in ii te | point.”’ | | | 6s Where ?”” ) Comicbooks.com