The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 289: what you’re looking at

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

the open shop, probably to the great edification of the passers-by. She accordingly retired to the parlour with Ann. In a few moments, Sir Richard Blunt ushered in both Ben and Arabella Wilmot. Arabella with a shriek of joy, rushed into Johanna’s arms, and then with excess of emotion she fainted. Ben caught up Johanna fairly off her feet, as though he had been dancing some little child, and holding her in a sitting posture upon one arm, he said— “Bless you! Easy does it. Easy I say—does—it. Don’t you think I’m a-crying. It’s a tea-chest has flew in my eye from that grocer’s shop opposite. Oh, you little rogue, you. Easy does it. What—you have got them what do you call ’ems on, have you?” The kiss that Ben gave her might have been heard at Sweeney Todd’s, and then when prevailed upon to sit down, he would insist upon holding her fast upon his knee. “T must go,” said Johanna, and then looking at Arabella, she added “Let me go, before she awakens from her transient forgetfulness to beg me to Stay.” Ben was furious at the idea of Johanna going back to Todd’s, but Sir Richard overruled him, and after some trouble, got him to consent. Then turning to Johanna, he said— “The moment night comes on, you will have some visitors, and remember, Miss Oakley, that St. Dunstan’s is the watch-word. Whoever comes to you with that in his mouth, is a friend.” “T will remember, and now farewell and God bless and reward you for all your goodness to me. I will live for the many who love me yet, and whom I love in this world.” ® e® @o Was it not a world of wonders that amid all this, Johanna did not go mad? Surely something more than mortal strength must have sustained that young and innocent girl in the midst of all these strange events. No human power that she possessed, could have possibly prevented her mind from sinking, and the hideous fascinations of an overcharged fancy from breeding “Rude riot in her brain.” But there was a power who supported her—a power which from the commencement of the world has supported many—a power which while the world continues, will support many more, strengthening the weak and trampling on the strong. The power of love in all the magic of its deep and full intensity. Yes, this was the power which armed that frail and delicate-looking girl with strength to cope with such a man—man shall we call him? no, we may say such a fiend as Sweeney Todd. If it required no small amount of moral courage to go in the first instance upon that expedition—so fraught with danger, to Todd’s shop—what did it require now to enable her to return after having passed through much peril, and tasting the sweets of friendship and sympathy? Surely any heart but Johanna’s must have shrank aghast from ever again even in thought, approaching that dreadful place. And yet she went. Yes, upon her mission of justice she went. To be sure, she was told that as far as human means went, she would be upheld and supported from those without; but what could that assure to her further than that if she fell she should not fall unavenged? Truly, if some higher, some far nobler impulse than that derived from any consciousness that she was looked after, had not strengthened her, the girl’s spirit, must have sunk beneath the weight of many terrors. With a sad smile she once again crossed the threshold of that house, which she now no longer suspected to be the murderer’s haunt. She knew it. Q9OOO0GOOO CORniclooo S CO)