The String of Pearls (1850), p. 421

he was, in a manner of speaking, compelled to put up entirely with "Hush!" for his portion of the mystery.
Sir Richard bade good-day to every one but the fruiterer at the door of the church; and then with him he walked to his shop opposite to Todd's. Crotchet was close at hand, and he came into the shop, at a signal from the magistrate to do so.
"Is all right, Crotchet?"
"Right as a trivet, sir. Lord bless you about so much as a sneeze, but I'll find it out; and as for little Miss Thingamybob, he shan't hurt a hair of her pretty little bit of a head."
"That's right, Crotchet. Remember that the bringing to justice, with ample evidence of all his crimes, of Sweeney Todd, is a great object; but it is an infinitely greater one to preserve the life of Johanna Oakley."
"I knows it," said Crotchet.
"Resume your charge, then; Crotchet. All will be well, and this will be Todd's last day out of Newgate."
Crotchet nodded, and made his exit.
In the succeeding half hour, it would seem that Sir Richard Blunt made his old acquaintance, the fruiterer, thoroughly acquainted with all he knew of the way in which Todd got rid of his victims. What that way was will very shortly now appear; and we think it hai better appear in this regular and most authentic narrative, than in a chance conversation between Sir Richard Blunt and his friend.
It was the special duty of one officer to come into the fruiterer's shop with a report and a description of whoever went into Todd's house, and now this man
made his appearance.
"Well, Jervis," said the magistrate, "so Todd has a customer, has he?"
"I don't know, sir. It is a woman, well dressed, and rather tall than otherwise."
"Mrs. Lovett, without a doubt. No one need go and look after that lady, for I don't know any one, except you or I, Jervis, who is so capable as taking care of number one. Todd will find her a troublesome customer, and if she is at all the woman I take her to be, she will not go into his back parlour quite so easily as he would fain persuade her."
"Then no one need follow, sir."
"No; but if the young lad comes out, you may just look in and ask some frivolous question to see what is going on. If the female is not in the shop—she is dead."
"Dead, sir!"
"Yes. She will not live a minute after she leaves the shop; but you may depend she will not do so; she is to the full as well acquainted with Todd as we are, so there is no sort of apprehension of her coming to any harm. I should indeed be sorry to lose her."
Sir Richard Blunt was right in his guess. It was no other than Mrs. Lovett, who, agreeably to her appointment with Todd, called upon him for her half of the plunder for the last few years.

CHAPTER XCV.
THE DAY IS PROGRESSING, AND TODD'S DANGER THICKENS.

Before entering the shop, Mrs. Lovett hovered about it, peeping at the things in the window, and glancing about her as though she had some uncomfortable ideas in her mind concerning the place, and was coquetting with her feelings a little before she could make up her mind to go into it.
At length she laid her hand upon the handle of the door, and turned it. She stood upon the threshold, and her sharp glance at once comprehended that Todd was not there. Johanna advanced towards her, and waited for her to speak.