The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

Sp PRE RA TL ARNT AI EES EE AEC EIT TRE SE LR ree ris Se 0 toe. waeeneeepeaebyemntactrsinioniacnmanniansddniainiaiang at a | 390 THE STRING OF PEARLS. | & Be of good cheer,” said a deep-toned voice. | af She looked up, and saw Sir Richard Biunt. sad ‘“ Yoa here, sir?” | i ‘Yes, Johanna. {[ have been now for some time watching Todd’s shop from ( our friends first-floor window. I saw you dart across the road, and for the ae moment feared something had gone wrong. Did Todd get two letters ?” | Hie did.” | | “They will, I hope, keep him quiet until another night. Dare you go back ar again, Johanna, to that place?’ | + Yes, if it be necessary; but he has told me to sleep out, and the gust of | 0 pleasure | felt at the permission, almost, I fear, betrayed me.” | li ‘‘He came to the door and looked furiously after you, but he did,not ie see which way you had come. You were over here like a flash of light.” : rT ‘“ He would have had me back again, then 2—What could that be for?” : “a “At all events, you shall not go until the morning, and not then, unless after _ 7 a. night’s rest-here, you feel that you can do so with a good heart.” i «©Oh ves, I will fulfil my mission.” : cg “‘Todd is putting up his shutters,” said the fruiterer, as he came in from his a ) front shop. | ‘ “Ah, then the secret is out,’ said Sir Richard Blunt. “That is what he vif wanted you back for, Johanna. He had forgotten at the moment all about the i shutters you may depend. Iam glad he spared you the trouble, at any rate. ‘ I do not like you to perform any service for such a rank villain as he is.” tion «ft would not have been for him, sir.” bet ‘¢ For who, then?’’ i \e ‘‘ For the dead. I feel that 1 am bound to bring to justice the murderer of ‘ Mark Ingestrie. When I was here last, sir, you strove to comfort me, by mak- | j i ing me feel a sort of hope that he was not dead, but I cannot think that—I i Hi would that I could, but indeed | cannot, sir,” I i ‘¢Do not be too sure, Johanne.’’ | | a: ‘¢ Nay, look at that.” | He vi She laid before the magistrate the sleeve of the jacket that she had found at ih i ei Todds, and which fancy, for she certainly had no proof that way tending, told | y 7. me her had belonged to Mark Ingestrie, | if hi : «¢ What is this ¢” |; a 7 eet nie | « Took at it, sir. My heart tells me it was his!”’ | ' I } | i} «And so you suppose there was never but one sailor’s jacket with ivory 7 fe a | bittons on the wrist in the world, and never any one who wore one, but | } | i | | Mark Ingestrie ?” | te | | | «Nay, the place in which it was found brings conviction.” | , fi: | ‘Not at all. Do you forget there was such a person as Thornhill in the | | world, Johanna?’ | ¢ | «‘No; but why will every one persist in fancying Thornhill and Ingestric to | te _ be two persons, when I am convinced they were but one ? Let who will identify | ad this as part of Thornhill’s apparel, and I will weep for Mark.” i} | ‘‘T cannot just now shake this supposition.” { j «¢ You never will.’ a4 | | “Tf I live I will, Johanna, I give you my word for so much. Pray who 1s | ; || the best to judge of such things? You, a young girl who have seen little oF | , ' nothing of the world, and whose natural apprehension Is rendered obscure by | | HL the conflict of your affections, or 1 whose business it is to come to an accurate | 4 i conclusion of such matters? I repeat my conviction, that Thornhill was not. | od .| Mark Ingestrie.” i . | «Oh, if I could think so!’ | a eat Vouawill | B | | a | You have no doubt, sir, but Thornhill perished by the hand of Todd?” | f | None whatever.” é; | 1% Ueh ' Johanna looked deeply affected. | . CARRE R, ietes et comicbooks.com _