The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

would have risked anything for me.” To reason with any one impressed with such notions would have been folly indeed, and Arabella forbore doing so at that juncture. She could not but be amazed, however, at the firmness of manner of Johanna now, in comparison with the frantic burst of grief which she had so recently been indulging in. Her step was firm, her lips were compressed, and her countenance, although more than usually pale, was expressive in every feature of highly-wrought determination. “She will do it or die,” thought Arabella, “and if anything happens to her, I shall wish myself dead likewise.” In this state of feeling—not a very amiable one—the two young girls reached the abode of Arabella Wilmot. The strongly marked feeling of composure and determination by no means left Johanna, but, if anything, seemed to be rather upon the increase, while occasionally she would mutter to herself— “Yes—yes; I will know all—I will know the worst.” When they were alone in the littke chamber of Arabella—that little chamber which had witnessed so many of the mutual confidences of those two young girls—Arabella at once began to say something that might provoke a discussion about the propriety of the hazardous expedition to Todd’s, but Johanna stopped her by saying as she laid her hands gently upon her arm— “Arabella will you do me two favours?” “A hundred; but , “Nay, hear me out, dear friend, before you say another word. The first of those favours is, that you will not, by word or look, try to dissuade me from my purpose of going in disguise to Todd’s. The second is, that you will keep my secret when I do go.” “Oh! Johanna! Johanna!” “Promise me.” “Yes. I do—I do.” “T am satisfied. And now, my own dear Arabella, let me tell you that I do hot think that there is any such danger as you suppose in the expedition. In the first place, I do not think Todd will easily discover me to be aught else than what I pretend to be, and if I should see that I am in any danger, Fleet Street, with all its living population, is close at hand, and such a cry for aid as I, being, as I am, forearmed by being forewarned, could raise, would soon bring me many defenders.” Arabella sobbed. “And then, after all, I only want to stay until, by one absence of Todd’s from the house, I shall be able to make a search for some memorial of the visit of Mark Ingestrie there. If I find it not, I return to you at once better satisfied, and with better hopes than I went forth. If I do find it, I will call upon the tardy law for justice.” “Johanna—Johanna, you are not the same creature that you were!” “T know it. I am changed. I feel that I am.” Arabella looked at the sweet childish beauty of the face before her, and her eyes filled with tears again at the thought that, something near akin to despair had implanted upon it that look of unnatural calmness and determination it wore. “You doubt me?” said Johanna. “Oh! no—no. I feel now that you will do it, and feeling that, I likewise feel that I ought not to drive you to seek assistance from another, in your enterprise. But something must be arranged between us.” “In what respect?” “Such as, if I should not hear of you within a certain time, I—I—” “You would feel bound to find me some help. Be it so, Arabella, If I do not come to you, or send to you, before the midnight of to- morrow, do what you will, add I shall not think that you have committed any breach of faith.” “T am content, Johanna, to abide by those conditions; and now I will say nothing to you to bend you from your purpose, but I will pray to Heaven that you may become successful, not in finding any record of Mark Ingestrie, but in procuring peace to your mind by the utter absence of such record.” “T will go now.” “No—no, Johanna. Bethink you what pain your unexplained absence would give to your father. Something must be said or done to make him feel at ease during the, perhaps, many hours that you will be absent.” “Tt is well thought of, Arabella. Oh! how selfish we become when overwhelmed by our own strange emotions! I had forgotten that I had a father.” It was now agreed between the two young girls that Johanna should go home, and that Arabella Wilmot should call for her, and ask Mr. Oakley’s permission for her (Johanna) to come to her upon a visit for two days. It was no very usual thing for Johanna to pass a night with her friend, so that it was thought such a course now would have the effect of quieting all anxiety on account of the absence of the young girl from her parental home. Q9OO0GOOO CORniclooo S CO)