The String of Pearls (1850), pp. 180

colour went and came several times upon the face of Mrs. Lovett, and then she repeated to herself—Flukes a tailor!"
"Pies ready?" said a voice at the door.
"Not quite."
"How long, mum; we want half a dozen of the muttons to-day,"
"In about ten minutes."
"Thank you, I'll look in again."
"Flukes—a tailor? Indeed!—Flukes—a tailor? Well I ought to have expected something like this. What a glorious thing it is really to care for no one but oneself after all, I shall lose my faith in—in—fine men."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Tobias's Mother Awakens Old Recollections.

Poor Tobias still remains upon his bed of sickness. The number of hours at the expiration of which the medical man had expected him to recover were nearly gone. In Colonel Jeftery's parlour three persons, besides himself, were assembled. These three were his friend the captain, Sir Richard Blunt, and Mrs. Ragg. The lady was sitting with a not over clean handkerchief at her eyes, and keeping up a perpetual motion with her knee, as though she were nursing some fractious baby, and Mrs. Ragg had been used]of late to go out as a monthly
nurse occasionally, which, perhaps, accounted for this little peculiarity.
"Now, madam," said the colonel, "you quite understand, I hope, that you are not to mention to any living soul the fact of your son Tobias being with me."
"Oh, dear me, no, sir. Who should I mention it to?"
"That we can't tell," interrupted the captain, "so you are simply desired not to tell it."
"I'm sure I don't see anybody once in a week, sir."
"Good God! woman," cried the colonel, "does that mean that when you do see any one you will tell it?"
"Lord love you, sir, it's few people as comes to see you when you are down in the world. I'm sure it's seldom enough a soul taps at my door with a 'Mrs. Ragg, how are you?"
"Now was there ever such an incorrigible woman as this?"
"If you were to talk to her for a month," said Sir Robert Blunt, "you would not get a direct answer from her. Allow me to try something else—Mrs. Ragg."
"Yes, sir—humbly at your service, sir."
"If you tell any one that Tobias is here, or indeed anywhere within your knowledge, I will apprehend you about a certain candlestick."
"Goodness gracious, deliver us."
"Do you understand that, Mrs. Ragg? You keep silence about Tobias, and I keep silence about the candlestick. You speak about Tobias, and I speak about the candlestick."
Mrs. Ragg shook her head and let fall a torrent of tears, which the magistrate took as sufficient evidence that she did understand him and would act accordingly, so he added—
"Shall we all proceed up stairs? for a great deal will depend upon the boy's first impression when he awakens—and in this case we should not lose a chance."
In pursuance of this sound advice they all proceeded to poor Tobias's bedroom, and there he lay in that profound repose which the powerful opiate administered to him had had the effect of producing. It did not seem as though he had moved head or foot since they had left him. His face was very pale, and
when Mrs. Ragg saw him she burst into tears, exclaiming—