The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

muster under the most vigilant scrutiny. But as it was, nothing could be more unlikely than that any one should penetrate her disguise, for what is not suspected, is seldom seen very readily. “You will do capitally,” said Arabella, “I must take your arm, you know. We will not go far.” “Only to Fleet Street.” “Fleet Street. You surely will not go so far as that?” “Yes, Arabella. Now that I have attired myself in these garments for a special purpose, let me do a something towards the carrying it out. By walking that distance I shall accustom myself to the road; and, moreover, a dreadful kind of fascination drags me to that man’s shop.” Arabella, if the truth must be told, shook a little as they, after watching an opportunity, emerged into the street, for although the spirit of romantic adventure had induced her to give the advice to Johanna that she had, her own natural feminine sensibilities shrunk from the carrying of it out. Ashamed, however, of being the first to condemn her own suggestion, she took the arm of Johanna, and those two young creatures were in the tide of human life that ebbs and flows in the great city. The modest walk and gentle demeanour of the seeming young boy won Johanna many a passing glance as she and Arabella proceeded down Ludgate Hill towards Fleet Street, but it was quite clear that no one suspected the disguise which, to do Arabella justice, in its general arrangement was very perfect, and as Johanna wore a cap, which concealed much of the upper part of her face, and into which was gathered all her hair, she might have really deceived those who were the most intimate with her, so that it was no wonder she passed unobserved with mere strangers. In this way, then, they reached Fleet Street without obstruction, and Johanna’s heart beat rapidly as they approached the shop of Sweeney Todd. “Tt will be imprudent to stop for even a moment at his door or window,” said Arabella, “for, remember, you have no opportunity of varying your disguise.” “T will not stop. We will pass rapidly on, but—but it is something to look upon the doorstep over which the shadow of Mark has last passed.” In another moment they were on a level with the shop. Johanna cast a glance at the window, and then shrunk back with affright as she saw, occupying one of the upper panes of glass, the hideous face of Todd. He was not looking at her though, for with an awful squint that revealed all the whites of his eyes—we were going to say, but the dirty yellows would have been much nearer the truth—he seemed to be observing something up the street. “Come on—come on,” whispered Johanna. Arabella had not happened to observe this apparition of Todd in the window, and she looked round to see what occasioned Johanna’s sudden terror, when a young Temple clerk, who chanced to be a few paces behind them, immediately, with the modesty peculiar to his class, imagined the glance of the blooming girl to be a tribute to his attractions. He kissed the end of a faded glove, and put on what he considered a first-class fascinating aspect. “Come on—come on,” said Arabella now in her turn. Johanna, of course, thought that Arabella too had caught sight of the hideous and revolting countenance of Sweeney Todd, and so they both hastened on together. “Don’t look back,” said Arabella. “Ts he following?” “Oh, yes—yes.” Johanna thought she meant Todd, while Arabella really meant the Temple gent, but, notwithstanding the mutual mistake, they hurried on, and the clerk taking that as quite sufficient encouragement, pursued them, putting his cravat to rights as he did so, in order that when he came up to them, he should present the most fascinating aspect possible. “No—no.” said Johanna, as she glanced behind. “You must have been mistaken, Arabella. He is not pursuing us.” “Oh, I am so glad.” Arabella looked back, and the Temple gent kissed his dilapidated glove. “Oh, Johanna,” she said, “how could you tell me he was not following, when there he is.” “What, Todd?” “No. That impertinent ugly puppy with the soiled cravat.” “And you meant him?” “To be sure.” “Oh, what a relief, I was flying on, fancying that Todd was in pursuit of us, and yet my judgment ought at once to have told me that that could not be the case, knowing nothing of us. How our fears overcome all reason. Do you know that strange-looking young man?” “Know him? Not I.” “Well, my darling,” said the gent, reaching to within a couple of paces of Arabella, “how do you do to-day?—-a-hem! Are you going far? Ain’t you afraid that somebody will run away with such a pretty gal as you—’pon my soul, you are a charmer.” “Cross,” whispered Arabella, and the two young girls at once crossed Fleet Street. It was not then so difficult an operation to get from one side of that thoroughfare to the other as it is now. The gent was by no means disconcerted at this evident wish to get out of his way, but he crossed likewise, and commenced a series of persecution, which such animals call gallantry, and which, to any respectable young female, are specially revolting. CORniclooo S CO)