The String of Pearls (1850), p. 18

a piece of gossiping scandal was there first circulated. The din of tongues was prodigious. The ringing laugh of the boy who looked upon the quarter of an hour he spent at Lovett's as the brightest of the whole twenty-four, mingled gaily with the more boisterous mirth of his seniors; and, oh! with what rapidity the pies disappeared.
They were brought up on large trays, each of which contained about a hundred, and from these trays they were so speedily transferred to the mouths of Mrs. Lovett's customers that it looked quite like a work of magic.
And now we have let out some portion of the secret. There was a Mistress Lovett; but possibly our reader guessed as much, for what but a female hand, and that female buxom, young, and good-looking, could have ventured upon the production of those pies, Yes, Mrs. Lovett was all that; and every enamoured young scion of the law, as he devoured his pie, pleased himself with the idea that the charming Mrs. Lovett had made that pie especially for him, and that fate or predestination had placed it in his hands.
And it was astonishing to see with what impartiality and with what tact the fair pastry-cook bestowed her smiles upon her admirers, so that none could say he was neglected, while it was extremely difficult for any one to say he was preferred.
This was pleasant, but at the same time it was provoking to all except Mrs. Lovett, in whose favour it got up a kind of excitement that paid extraordinarily
well, because some of the young fellows thought, that he who consumed the most pies, would be in the most likely way to receive the greatest number of smiles
from the lady.
Acting upon this supposition, some of her more enthusiastic admirers went on consuming the pies until they were almost ready to burst. But there were others, again, of a more philosophic turn of mind, who went for the pies only, and did not care one jot for Mrs, Lovett.
These declared that her smile was cold and uncomfortable—that it was upon her lips, but had no place in her heart—that it was the set smile of a ballet-dancer, which is about one of the most unmirthful things in existence.
Then there were some who went even beyond this, and, while they admitted the excellence of the pies, and went every day to partake of them, swore that Mrs. Lovett had quite a sinister aspect, and that they could see what a merely superficial affair her blandishments were, and that there was
"A lurking devil in her eye."
that, if once roused, would be capable of achieving some serious things, and might not be so easily quelled again.
By five minutes past twelve Mrs. Lovett's counter was full, and the savoury steam of the hot pies went out in fragrant clouds into Bell-yard, being sniffed up
by many a poor wretch passing by who lacked the means of making one in the throng that were devouring the dainty morsels within.
"Why, Tobias Ragg," said a young man, with his mouth full of pie, "where have you been since you left Mr, Snow's in Paper-buildings? I have not seen you for some days."
"No," said Tobias, "I have gone into another line; instead of being a lawyer, and helping to shave the clients, I am going to shave the lawyers now A two-penny pork if you please, Mrs -Lovett. Ah! who would be an emperor, if he couldn't get pies like these?—eh, Master Clift?"
"Well, they are good; of course we know that, Tobias; but do you mean to say you are going to be a barber?"
"Yes, I am with Sweeny Todd, the barber of Meet-street, close to St. Dunstan's."
"The deuce you are! well, I am going to a party to-night, and I'll drop in and get dressed and shaved, and patronise vour master "
Tobias put his mouth close to the ear of the young lawyer, and in a fearful sort ot whisper said the one word—"Don't."