The String of Pearls (1850), p. 255

demoniacal noise, I should soon send her to rest. Every one to their taste, though; I suppose you term the noise, that almost startled me, agreeable."
"Yes, sir," said the barber; "I like to hear her, because I think she is enjoying herself; and you know men and beasts require a something to stimulate the
system."
By this time the lather was over the seaman's face. He could not speak, except at the imminent risk of swallowing a considerable quantity of the soap that Todd had covered his face with. The barber seemed dexterously to ply a razor on the seaman's face, which caused him to make wry faces, indicating that the operation was painful; the grimaces grew more fantastic to the beholder, but evidently less able to be withstood by the person operated upon.
"Good God, barber," he at length ejaculated, "why the devil don't you keep
better materials?—I cannot stand this. The razor you are attempting to shave me with has not been ground, I should think, for a twelvemonth. Get another and finish me off, as you term it, in no time."
"Exactly, sir—I will get one more suited to your beard, and will return in
one minute, when you will be polished off to my satisfaction."
He entered the little parlour at the back of the shop, but previously he took
the precaution of putting his eye to the hole that gave a sight into the street;
turning round, apparently satisfied with his scrutiny, he went in search of the
superior razor he spoke of. A low grating sound, like that of a ragged cord
commencing the moving of pullies, was to be heard, when Sir Richard Blunt
threw the door open, and took a seat in the shop near where the stranger was sitting. He was so disguised that Todd could not recognise him as the same person that had been in his shop so many times before. The barber's face was purple with rage and disappointment; but he restrained it by an immense effort, and spoke to Sir Richard in a tolerably calm tone—
"Hair cut, sir, or shaved, sir? I shall not be long before I have finished this
gentleman off—perhaps you would like to call in again in a few minutes."
"Thank you; I am not in a particular hurry, and being rather tired I will
rest myself in your shop, if you have no objection."
"My shop is but just open, and our ventilation being bad, it is much more pleasant to inhale the street air for a few minutes, than the vitiated air of houses in this neighbourhood."
"I am not much afraid of my health for a few minutes, therefore would
rather take rest."
Todd turned his face away and ground his teeth, when he found that all his
arguments were unavailing in moving the will of his new customer; therefore he
soon finished shaving the first customer.
"At your service, sir," said Todd to Sir Richard, who seemed absorbed in
reading a newspaper he took from his pocket. He looked up, and saw that the
stranger was nearly ready to leave, therefore he continued reading till the stranger was in the act of passing out of the shop, when he said—
"What time do the royal family pass through Temple-bar to the City this
morning?"
"Half-past nine," said Todd.
"Then I have not time to be shaved now—I will call in again. Good morning." Saying which he also left the shop.
In a few minutes after leaving the shop of Todd, Sir Richard and the men employed by him were in consultation; and be urged strongly that the men should remain nearer to the shop than they had hitherto done, for if Sir Richard had been two minutes later, most likely he who had escaped the angry billows, would have been launched into eternity by the villanous barber.
For the remainder of the day Todd was more closely besieged than ever, and
when night came on, Sir Richard Blunt, with two of his men, set watch upon
the house of Mrs. Lovett. Sir Richard had provided himself with skeleton keys,
candles, and other housebreaking implements, for the purpose of entering Mrs.