The String of Pearls (1850), p. 483

which she placed her eyes, so that, between a pomatum jar and a lot of hair brushes, she could clearly see what was going on.
"A nice-looking little lad, that," said Todd's customer.
"Very, sir; an orphan boy; I took him out of charity, poor little fellow; but then, we ought to try to do all the good we can."
"Just so; I'm glad I have come to be shaved here. Mine's rather a strong beard, I think, do you see."
"Why, sir, in a manner of speaking," replied Todd, "it is a strong beard. I suppose you didn't come to London alone, sir?"

CHAPTER CX.
TODD'S HOUR HAS COME.

The hideous face that Todd made above the head of his customer at this moment, was more like that which Mephistopheles might have made, after achieving the destruction of a human soul, than anything human. Sir Richard Blunt quickly replied to Todd's question, by saying—
"Oh, yes, quite alone; except the drovers I had no company with me; why do you ask?"
"Why, sir, I thought if you had any gentleman with you who might be waiting at the Bull's Head, you would recommend him to me if anything was wanting in my way, you know, sir; you might have just left him, saying you were going to Todd, the barber's, to have a clean shave, sir."
"No, not at all; the fact is, I did not come out to have a shave, but a walk, and it wasn't till I gave my chin a stroke, and found what a beard I had, that I thought of it; and then passing your shop, in I popped, do you see."
"Exactly, sir, I comprehend; you are quite alone in London?''
"Oh, quite; but when I come again, I'll come to you to be shaved, you may depend, and I'll recommend you, too."
"I'm very much obliged to you," said Todd, as he passed his hand over the chin of his customer, "I'm very much obliged ; I find I must give you another lather, sir, and I'll get another razor with a keener edge, now that I have taken off all the rough, as one may say, in a manner of speaking."
"Oh, I shall do."
"No, no, don't move, sir, I shall not detain you a moment; I have my other razors in the next room, and will polish you off now, sir, before you will know where you are; you know, sir, you have promised to recommend me, so I must do the best I can with you."
"Well, well, a clean shave is a comfort, but don't be long, for I want to get back, do you see."
"Not a moment, not a moment."
Sweeney Todd walked into his back-parlour, conveying with him the only light that was in the shop, so that the dim glimpse that, up to this time, Johanna from the outside had contrived to get of what was going on, was denied to her; and all that met her eyes was impenetrable darkness.
Oh, what a world of anxious agonising sensations crossed the mind of the young and beautiful girl at that moment. She felt as if some great crisis in her history had arrived, and that she was condemned to look in vain into darkness to see of what it consisted.
We must not, however, allow the reader to remain in the same state of mystification, which came over the perceptive faculties of Johanna Oakley; but we shall proceed to state clearly and distinctly what did happen in the barbers shop while he went to get an uncommonly keen razor in his back-parlour.
The moment his back was turned, the seeming farmer who had made such a good thing of his beasts, sprang from the shaving chair, as if he had been electrified; and yet he did not do it with any appearance of flight, nor did he