The String of Pearls (1850), p. 406

when she had heard all that, she said, "It is too late for you to go lodging-hunting to-night. There is an old bench in our kitchen, and if you like you may sleep on that."
Todd gave a growl.
"And so you slept there?"
"Yes sir."
He paced the shop for some few moments in deep thought, knitting his brows and trying to make something out of what he had heard, contrary to what it
seemed; but Johanna's story was too straightforward and simple for him to find any flaw in it, and after a few moments he felt compelled to admit to himself that it must be the truth. Turning to her with something of the amount of amiability one might expect from a bear, he said—
"Open the shop!"
"Yes, sir, directly."
Johanna propped the door wide open, and then having, by the dim light of the miserable candle, found a screw which fastened a bar across the shutters, she speedily released it, and then went into the street. At that moment Crotchet came along, whistling in so thoroughly careless a manner, that even Johanna thought he had forgotten his instructions and was about to pass the shop.
She had her hand upon the .bar when he stopped, saying, in an off-handed manner—
"Why little 'un, them 'ere shutters is too much for you, I'll give you a helping hand. Lor bless you, don't say anything about it. It ain't no sort o'trouble to me my little chap. Here goes."
Mr. Crotchet began opening Todd's shop with such a fury and a vengeance, that the clatter and^the speed with which the operation was being accomplished, brought Todd out of the parlour to see what on earth Charley was about.
When he saw Crotchet coming in with three shutters in his arms at once, he could scarcely believe his eyes, and he roared out—
"What's this? Who are you?"
"Easy—easy," said Crotchet. "Don't get in the way old gentleman. Easy. There now!"
Crotchet managed to give Todd such a rap on the side of the head with the shutters, that a thousand lights danced in his eyes, and he writhed with pain.
"Well, I never," said Crotchet, "I hope I haven't hurt you, old man? You see I was a passing, and seed as these here shutters was rather a bit top-heavy for your little son here, and 1 thought I'd give him a helping hand. To be sure he didn't want me to, but you see I would, and perhaps as your old head is getting better, you wouldn't mind a pint of beer, old gentleman?"
"You atrocious villain," yelled Todd, "I'll cut your throat. I'll polish you off, I'll—I'll—would you like to be shaved?"
"I've had a scrape already," said Crotchet, " and if you won't stand the beer, why you won't, and there's no bones broke arter all. Good morning, old
Grampus. Good morning my little chap, I wishes you good luck; and if I am passing again, I don't mind lending you a helping hand, though the governor
is about one o' the ugliest, nastiest tempered brutes, I ever came near in all my life."
Crotchet went away whistling with great composure.

CHAPTER XCI.

MRS. LOVETT WONT TAKE ANY EXCUSES.

Todd seized Johanna by the arm, and dragged her into the shop. He locked the door, and then confronting her, he said—
"How kind it was of your friend, to take down the shutters for you, Charley Green.