The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

- = " 7 a — . , & 488 x9 , 5 age a) as, poe ES ee : Pct ¢ ea tah 7 Se Ee r ro ap oe te ie iff * ’ ; or ie | : . * a ee ‘ 4 OC het ate ? —< > a ~ — oa oh som = -— 5 Seem ee a ‘ - , = ve ~~ . A —* a D <" * ? 7 - 7 f — ee oe we. : . = 10% -_ ~ ee oe THE STRING OF PEARLS. oe || have the power.” “What mean you, Johanna?’ | “T cannot tell’ what a week’s anxiety may do; I know not but a sick bed |, + may be my restiag-place, until I exchange it for the tomb. I feel even now . 4 my strength fail me, and that I am scarcely able to totter to my home. ij Farewell, sir! I owe you my best thanks, as well for the trouble you have i taken, as for the kindly manner in which you have detailed to me what has passed.” < | “Remember,” said Colonel Jeffery, “that I bid you adieu, with the hope of meeting you again.”’ It was thus they parted, and Johanna proceeded to her father’s house. Who || now that had met her and had chanced not to see that sweet face, which could never be forgotten, would have supposed-her to be the once gay and sprightly Johanna Oakley? Her steps were sad and solemn, and all the juvenile clasticity of her frame seemed like one prepared for death ; and she hoped that she would be able to glide, silently and unobserved, to her own little bed-chamber—that cham- ber where she had slept since she was a child, and on the little couch, on which she had so often laid down to sleep that holy and calm slumber which such hearts |, as hers can only know. But she was doomed to be disappointed, for the Rey. Mr. Lupin was still there, and as Mrs, Oakley had placed before that pious indi- | vidual a great assortment of creature comforts, and among the rest some mulled wing, which seemed particularly to agree with him, he showed no disposition to depart. It unfortunately happened that this wine, of which the reverend gentle- man partook with such a holy relish, was kept in a cellar, and Mrs. Oakley had had occasion twice to go down to procure a fresh supply, and 1b was ona third journey for the same purpose that she encountered poor Johanna, who had just let herself || - In a the private door. “Oh! you have come home, have you?” said Mrs. Oakley; “I wonder where you hav3 been to, gallivanting; but I suppose | may wonder long enough before you will tell me. Go into the parlour, 1 want to speak to you.” | Now poor Johanna had quite forgotten the very existence of Mr. Lupin—so, rather than explain to her mother, which she knew would beget more questions, she wished to go to bed at once, notwithstanding it was an hour before the usual time for sodoing. She walked unsuspectingly into the parlour, and as Mr. Lupin was sitting, the slightest movement of his chair closed the door, so she could not escape. Under any other circumstances probably Johanna would have insisted upon leaving the apartment; but a glance at the countenanee of the pious individual was quite sufficient to convince her that he had bcen sacrificing sufficiently to Bacchus to be capable of any amount of effrontery, so that she dreaded passing him, more especially as he swayed his arms about like the sails of a windmill. She thought at least that when her mother returned she would rescue her ; but in that hope she was mistaken, and Johanna had no more idea of the extent to which religious fanaticism will carry its victim, than she had of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of the moon. When Mrs. Oakley did return, she had some difficulty in getting into the apartment, inasmuch as Mr. Lupin’s chair occupied so large a portion of it; but when she did obtain admission, and Johanna said—_ “Mother, I beg of you to protect me against this man, and allow me a free passage from the apartment !”’ Mrs. Oakley affected to lift up her hands in amtzement, as she said—= “How dare you speak so disrespectfully of a chosen vessel? How dare you, f say, do such a thing—it’s enough to drive any one tead to see the young girls now-a~aays !” : IS Don't snub ner—don’t snub the virgin,” said Mr. Lupin; she don’t knew the honour yet that’s intended hier.” “She don’t deserve it,” said Mrs. Oaxiey, “ she don’t deserve it.” “ Never mind, madam—never mind ; we--we—we don’t get all what we deserve in this world,” comicbooks.com