The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT SWEENEY TODD SHAVES A GOOD CUSTOMER. - THE ARREST. Johanna is still alone in the barber’s shop. Her head is resting upon her hands, and she is thinking of times gone past, when she had hoped for happiness with Mark Ingestrie. When we say alone, we must not be presumed to have forgotten the two officers who were so snugly packed in the cupboard. But Johanna, as her mind wandered back to her last interview with him whom she had loved so well, and clung to so fondly, and so constantly, for a time almost forgot where she was and that there was such a person as Sweeney Todd in existence. “Alas, alas!” she said, “it seems likely enough that by the adoption of this disguise, so unsuited to me, I may achieve vengeance, but nothing more. Where are you, Mark Ingestrie? Oh, horror! something seems to tell me that no mortal voice can answer me.” Tears came trickling to her relief; and as she felt them trickling through her fingers, she started as she thought that the hour which Todd had said would expire before he returned must have nearly gone. “T must control these thoughts,” she said, “and this emotion. I must seem that which I am not.” She rose, and ceased weeping; she trimmed the little miserable lamp, and then she was about to go to the door to look for the return of Todd, when that individual, with a slow and sneaking footstep, made his appearance, as if he had been hiding just within the doorway. Todd hung his hat upon a peg, and then turning his eyes enquiringly upon Johanna, he said, “Well, has anyone been?” “Yes.” “Who? Speak, speak out. Confound you, you mumble so, I can hardly hear you.” “A gentleman to be shaved, and he went away again. I don’t know what puts you in such a passion, Mr. Todd; I’m sure nothing—” “What is it to you? Get out of my way, will you, and you may begin to think of shutting up, I think, for we shall have no more customers tonight. I am tired and weary. You are to sleep under the counter, you know.” “Yes, sir, you told me so. I dare say I shall be very comfortable there.” “And you have not been peeping and prying about, have you?” “Not at all.” “Not looking even into that cupboard, I suppose, eh? It’s not locked, but that’s no reason why you should look into it—not that there is any secret in it, but I object to peeping and prying upon principle.” Todd, as he spoke, advanced towards the cupboard, and Johanna thought that in another moment a discovery would undoubtedly take place of the two officers who were there concealed; and probably that would have been the case had not the handle of the shop- door been turned at that moment and a man presented himself, at which Todd turned quickly, and saw that he was a substantial-looking farmer with dirty top boots, as if he had just come off a journey. “Well, master,” said the visitor, “I want a clean shave.” “Oh,” said Todd, not in the best of humours, “it’s rather late. I suppose you would not like to wait till morning, for I don’t know if I have any hot water?” “Oh, cold will do.” “Cold, oh dear, no; we never shave in cold water; but if you must, you must; so sit down, sir, and we will soon settle the business.” “Thank you, thank you, I can’t go to bed comfortable without a clean shave, do you see? I have come up from Braintree with beasts on commission, and I’m staying at the Bull’s Head, you see.” “Oh, indeed,” said Todd, as he adjusted the shaving cloth, “the Bull’s Head.” “Yes, master; why I brought up a matter o’ 220 beasts, I did, do you see, and was on my pony, as good a stepper as you’d wish to see; and I sold ’em all, do you see, for 550 pun. Ho, ho! good work, that, do you see, and only forty-two on ’em was my beasts, do you see; I’ve got a missus at home, and a daughter; my girl’s called Johanna—ahem!” Up to this point, Johanna had not suspected that the game had begun, and that this was the magistrate who had come to put an end to the malpractices of Sweeney Todd; but his marked pronunciation of her name at once opened her eyes to the fact, and she knew that something interesting must soon happen. “And so you sold them all,” said Todd. “Yes, master, I did, and I’ve got the money in my pocket now, in bank-notes; I never leaves my money about at inns, do you see, master; safe bind, safe find, you see; I carries it about with me.” “A good plan, too,” said Todd; “Charley, some hot water; that’s a good lad—and—and, Charley.” “Yes, sir.” “While I am just finishing off this gentleman, you may as well just run to the Temple to Mr. Serjeant Toldrunis and ask for his wig; we Shall have to do it in the morning, and may as well have it the first thing in the day to begin upon, and you need not hurry, Charley, as we shall shut up when you come back.” Johanna walked out, but went no further than the shop window, close to which she placed her eyes so that, between a pomatum jar and a lot of hair brushes, she could clearly see what was going on. CORniclooo S CO)