The Gift of the Sailor: The String of Pearls & Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

“T believe I have the pleasure of speaking to the pious Mr. Todd?” “My name is Todd, sir. What is it?” “T am truly delighted,” said the tall thin man sitting down upon the nearest seat, and placing his hat upon his knees. “I am truly delighted to see you. Pray go on shaving that gentleman, as I shall be some time.” “Some time about what?” almost screamed Todd. “Finding the tract, from which I purpose reading to you a few extracts upon the all-important subject of the election of grace, and the insufficiency of works.” Todd stropped a razor, and glared at the intruder, who, fitting on his nose with great precision a pair of blue spectacles, began rummaging in his hat. “Humph! this is it. No—this is not it. Well, I thought I had it here, and so I have. This is—no. This is an imaginary and highly religious discourse upon saints, and St. Dunstan in particular.” Johanna knew in a moment that this other man was a friend likewise. He, too, had pronounced the words St. Dunstan in a peculiar manner. Todd suddenly became quite calm. “Sir,” he said, “I take it as a very particular favour, indeed, that you should have called here upon such an errand, and I only beg that you will not hurry yourself in the least; I can go on shaving this gentleman, and perhaps when he is gone, you will permit me the honour of operating upon you.” “With great pleasure,” replied the man. “Dear me, where can the tract be? Is this it? No—this is about the pious milkmaid, who always put up a prayer for the milking-pail, to prevent the cow from kicking it over. Dear me, where can it be? Oh, is this it? No—this is the story of the pious barber’s boy, who, when he had an opportunity, went over the way and found his father there! Dear me, where can it be?” Johanna stared. “The barber’s boy,” she thought, “who went over the way and found his father there? Those words are for me.” She was now in quite a fever of anxiety to leave the shop, for she did not doubt but that by some means her father had heard of her position, and she felt that then nothing but the actual sight of her in perfect health and safety would satisfy him. But she dared not show the anxiety she felt. She bent over the fire, and affected to be stirring the turf. “You can go and get your breakfast, Charley,” said Todd. “Thank you, sir.” Johanna would not betray any haste, but she shook with agitation as she neared the door; and then she recollected that she had not taken the twopence from the till as she had been told to do, and that the circumstance of not doing so might create suspicion. She crept back and possessed herself of the pence. Todd watched her with the eyes of demon. “Are you going, my dear Charley?” he said. “Yes, sir.” She left the shop, and then her first impulse would have induced her to hurry over the road to the fruiterer’s shop, but her eyes fell upon the figure of Sir Richard Blunt standing in the fruiterer’s doorway. He moved his hand signifying that she should go towards the market, and she did so. He quickly followed her. She did not look behind her, until she was quite in the old Fleet Market and then, just as she looked round, Sir Richard Blunt touched her arm. “You understood my message,” he said. “Yes. My father.” “Exactly. It is concerning him, It appears that some busy-body, a man, I understand, named Lupin, has seen you in your present disguise, and informed him of it.” “T know the man. He is one of those saintly hypocrites, who make religion the cloak for their vices.” “Yes, there are not a few of them,” said Sir Richard. “They revel in vice, and daily try to make the Almighty an accomplice in their offences against society. Well, then, Johanna, this man has tortured your father with an account of your being in this disguise.” “Tt would torture him.” “Naturally, without he knew all the reasons for it; but it appears that he went to the house of Miss Wilmot, and after some trouble saw her, when she, finding that he knew quite enough to make him wretched, and not enough to explain your position, frankly told him all, and brought him to me.” “Tt was the best.” “Most decidedly it was, and I need only say that he is anxiously waiting to see you, at our friend the fruiterer’s house; but as it would not do for you to go direct from Todd’s door to there, I have intercepted you, you see, to take you by a safer route.” “How good, and kind, and considerate you are to me,” said Johanna, as she looked up in the face of the magistrate, while tears started to her eyes. “Without you, how miserably I must have failed in this adventure. Todd would no doubt before this have discovered me, and taken my life.” “Don’t say a word about that,” replied Sir Richard. “Recollect that after all it was my duty to protect you; and if I have been a little more anxious than usual in the performance of that duty, it is because I admire your heroic constancy and courage, and hope to see you CORniclooo S CO)