The String of Pearls (1850), p. 333

CHAPTER LXXIV.
BIG BEN CREATES A SENSATION.

The cook was so surprised at these words from Mrs. Lovett that for some moments he made no answered to them.
"Pray, speak again," he said at length, when he could find words in which to express himself.
"I repeat," she said, "that I am desirous, as far as lies in my power, to ameliorate your condition, of which you so much complain."
"Indeed!"
"Ah, you are too suspicious."
"Humph I I think, madam, when you come to consider all things, you will hardly think it possible for me to be too suspicious."
"You are wrong again. I dare say now, in your mind, you attribute most of your evils to me."
"Well, madam, candidly speaking, should I be far wrong by so doing?"
"You would be quite wrong. Alas! alas!"
"You what, madam? Pray, speak up."
"I am the victim of another. You cannot suppose that, of my own free will, I should shut up in these gloomy places a person of your age, and by no means ill-looking. I have him there," thought Mrs. Lovett; "what human heart is proof against the seductions of flattery? Oh, I have him there."
The cook was silent for some few moments, and then he said, quite calmly, as though the tribute to his personal appearance had not had the smallest effect—
"Pray go on, madam, I am quite anxious to hear all that you may have to say to me."
This composed manner of meeting her compliments rather discomposed Mrs. Lovett; but after all, she thought;—"He is only acting an indifference he is far from feeling." With this impression she resolved to persevere, and she added, in a kind and conciliating tone of voice—
"I grant that circumstances are such that you may well be excused for any amount of doubt that you may feel regarding the honesty of my words and intentions towards you."
"I quite agree with you there, madam," said the cook.
"Then all I have to do is, by deeds, to convince you that I am sincere in my feelings towards you. As I have before said, I am in the power of another, and therefore is it that, contrary to my nature, I may seem to do cruel things at which my heart revolts."
"I cannot conceive anything so distressing," said the cook, "except being the unfortunate victim as I am of such a train of circumstances."
"That is what I am coming to."
"Are you? I wish you were."
There was a tone of irony about the enforced cook which Mrs. Lovett did not at all like; but she had an object to gain, and that a was to fully persuade him that the shortest way to his freedom would be to remain profoundly quiet for a day or two, and then she would be able to make her own arrangements and be off without troubling either him or Todd with any news of her departure or her whereabouts.
"You still doubt me," she said. "But listen, and I think you will soon be of opinion that although I have wronged you as yet, I can do something to repair that wrong."
"I am all attention, madam."
"Then, in the first place, you are quite tired of eating pies, and must have some other kind of food."
"You never said a truer thing in all your life, madam."
"That other food, then, I will provide for you. You shall, within an hour