The String of Pearls (1850), p. 270

THE STRING OP PEARLS.

Ben continued his course towards the city, ever and anon repeating as he
went—"A pious lad!—a pious lad. Oh, the rascal."
When he reached within a few doors of the spectacle-maker's, he saw a boy
with a letter in his hand looking about him, and probably seeing that Ben had a
good-humoured countenance, he said to him—
"If you please, sir, can you tell me which is Mr. Oakley's?"
"Yes, to be sure. Is that letter for him?"
"No, sir, it's for Miss Oakley."
Ben laid his finger upon the side of his nose, and tried to think.
"Miss Oakley," he said. "A letter for Miss Oakley;" and then, as nothing very alarming consequent upon that proposition presented itself to him, he said,
"Easy does it."
"Do you know the house, sir?" asked the boy.
"Yes, to be sure. Come along, boy."
"Yes, sir."
"Who's the letter from ?"
"A gentleman, sir, as is waiting at the Unicorn, in Addle Street."
"A gentleman as is waiting at the Addle in Unicorn Street," said Ben; and
then, not being able still to hit upon anything very outrageous in all that, he
contented himself once more with an "Easy does it."
The boy accompanied him to the door of Mr. Oakley's, and then Ben said to
him—
"I'll give the letter to Miss Oakley if you like, and if you don't like, you can
wait till I send her to you. Easy does it."
"Thank you, sir," said the boy, "I'd rather give it to the young lady myself."
"Very good," said Ben. ''Rise betimes, and hear early chimes."
With this effort of proverbial lore, Ben marched into the shop, where old
Oakley was, with a magnifying glass fitted to his eyes, performing some extraordinary operation upon a microscope. Ben merely said "How is you?" and
then passed on to the back-room, having received from the old optician a slight
nod by way of a return of the friendly salutation. Ben always esteemed it a
stroke of good fortune when he found Johanna alone, which, in the present
instance, he did. She rose to receive him, and placed one of her small hands
in his, where for a moment or two it was completely hidden.
"All right?" said Ben.
"Yes, as usual. No news."
"I saw a boy at the door with a letter from a unicorn."
"From a what?"
"No, an addle—no. Let me see. A unicorn, waiting with a gentleman in
addle something. Easy does it. That ain't it, neither. Where is she?"
Guessing that it was some one with a communication from some friend to her,
Johanna had glided to the door, and got the letter from the boy. She came
with it to the parlour at once, and opened it. It was from Colonel Jeffery, and
ran as follows:—
"Dear Miss Oakley,—If you will oblige me with another meeting in the Temple Gardens this evening, at or about six, I have something to tell you, although I am afraid nothing cheering.—Believe me to be your sincere friend,
"John Jeffery."
She read it aloud to Ben, and then said—
"It is from the gentleman who, I told you, Ben, had interested himself so
much in the fate of poor Mark."
"Oh, ah," said Ben. "Easy does it. Tell him, if he'd like to see the beasts
at the Tower any time, only to ask for me."
"Yes, Ben."
"Well, my dear, I came by the barber's, and what do you think?"
Johanna shook her head.
"Guess again."