The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

she said— “Sir—sir. You—and you only. Todd, Todd—oh, God! he will kill her, and I am more her murderer than he. Johanna—Johanna, my poor Johanna!” Sir Richard slightly changed colour at the sound of those names; and then he said, calmly and slowly— “T don’t think, unless you can assume a greater command of your feelings, that you will ever be able to tell me what you came about.” “Oh, yes—yes.” “Be seated, I pray you.” “Yes—yes. In a moment. Oh, how calm and unimpassioned you are, sir.” “Tt would not do for us both to lose our judgment.” Arabella began to feel a little piqued, and that feeling restored her powers to her, probably quicker than any other could have possibly done. She spoke rapidly, but distinctly. “Sir, Miss Johanna Oakley has gone to Sweeney Todd’s to find out what has become of Mr. Mark Ingestrie, and I advised her to do so; but now the knowledge that I did so advise her has driven me nearly mad. It will drive me quite mad!” Sir Richard rose from the arm chair into which he had thrown himself, and said— “Miss Oakley?” said you. “Why—why—what folly. But she has gone home again.” “No, she is disguised as a boy, and has taken the situation that Todd put a placard in his window about, and she will be found out of course, and murdered.” “No doubt of it.” “Oh, God! Oh, God! Is there no lightning to strike me dead?” “T hope not,” said Sir Richard Blunt; “I don’t want a thunder storm in my parlour.” “But, si - “But, Miss Wilmot. Is she there now?” “She is—she is.” “When did she go?” “About two hours since. Oh, sir—you must do something—you shall do something to save her, or I will run into the streets, and call upon any passenger I meet, that has the form of a man, to aid me; I will raise the town, sir, but I will save her.” “That course would be about as wise as the original advice to Miss Oakley to go upon the expedition at all. Now answer me calmly what I shall ask of you.” “T will—I will.” “What is the prime cause of action that Miss Oakley projects as the result of this disguised entrance into Todd’s shop, provided he be deceived by it?” “To search the place upon the first opportunity for some relic of Mark Ingestrie, and so put an end to the torturing suspense regarding his fate.” Sir Richard Blunt shook his head. “Do you think that Sweeney Todd would leave such relics within such easy acquisition and inspection? Is he the sort of man, think you, to expose himself to such danger? Oh, Miss Wilmot, this is indeed a hair-brained scheme.” “Tt is—it is, and I have come to you for aid, and - “Hush! Is the secret of this expedition entirely confined to you and to Miss Oakley?” “Tt is—it is.” “Will her friends not miss her?” “No—no. All has been arranged with what now I cannot help calling a horrible ingenuity. She is like one led to slaughter, and she will pass away from the world, leaving the secret of her disappearance to you and to me only. Sir, I am young, and there are those in this great city who love me, but if Johanna be not saved, I will no longer live to be the most wretched of beings. If there can be found a poison that will let me leave the world, to cast myself at the feet of God, and of Johanna in another, I will take it.” Sir Richard looked at his watch. “An hour and a half, you say?” “More than that. Let me think. It was twelve—yes, it was twelve. More you see, sir, than that.” “Tell me, sir. Tell me at once what can be done. Speak—oh speak to me. What will you do?” “T don’t know, Miss Wilmot.” With a deep sigh Arabella fainted. ® oe @o It was seldom indeed that, even amid his adventurous life, the magistrate found a circumstance that affected him so strongly as that which Arabella Wilmot had related to him. For a short time, even he, with all his powers of rapid, thought, and with all the means and appliances which natural skill and practice had given him to meet any emergency, could not think of any mode of escape from the peculiarly awkward position into which this frightfully imprudent step of Johanna had plunged him. CORniclooo S CO)