The String of Pearls (1850), p. 597

he was not all likely to make an exception in favour of such a personage as Mr. Lupin.
"All ready?" said Lupin. "Are you rested now?"
"Yes," said Todd, as he rose. "Ah, dear me, yes, as much as I can expect, until I get a regular night's repose, you know, friend Lupin. But I don't expect that very soon."
"Oh, who knows? We are continually, in this world, getting what we don't expect, and not getting what we do ; so you may rest easy enough, Todd, much sooner than you expect. Come, lean on my arm if you feel fatigued."
"Oh, no, thank you. Lend me the stick, it will help me on the best, for it seems just about my height."
Lupin could not very well refuse Todd's request with any prospect of keeping him in good humour at the same time, so he gave him the stick, although it must be confessed he did not do so with the very best grace in the world. But Todd did get it, and that satisfied him."
"Is it far off?" said Lupin.
"Oh dear, no. Quite close at hand—quite close. There's a small chesnut tree, and a large chesnut-tree, and there's a small fir-tree and a large fir-tree, and a large oak- tree and a small oak-tree, and then there is a blackberry bush and a little stream of water."
"Good gracious, is there anything else?" said Lupin.
"No, my dear friend, that is all."
"Well. I must confess, that your description would not have very materially assisted me in finding the spot."
"Indeed, I thought nothing could possibly be more clear."
"Clear to you, Mr. Todd, it may be, but not to any one else; but that don't matter a bit as you are here yourself to point out the exact spot. Are we near it now?"
"Yes, you see that cluster of bushes?"
"Yes, oh yes."
"Well, the money lies hidden right in there, and you cannot miss it if you scramble in."
"Lend me the stick to clear away the brambles and the nettles, and I will creep in."
"My dear friend, I shall fall down if I leni you the st ck. There is no difficulty in getting in. Don't you see there is a gap that you have only to push through, and there you are?"
"Well—well," said Lupin. "That's enough; I will get through. Come on, let us secure the gold."
Lupin stooped to push his way through the gap in the hedge, for the bushes grew so close together just there, that they resembled an enclosure carefully planted on purpose. Then Todd took the heavy stick that had been cut from the sycamore tree in both hands, and swinging it in the air, he brought it down with a stunning crack on the back of Lupin's head, just at the juncture of the neck.
"God!" said Lupin, and it was the first time in his life that, with true sincerity, he had pronounced that sacred name. He then turned and sunk to the ground, with his face towards Todd. He could not speak now, but the look that he gave to his murderer was awful in the extreme. The injury he had received had quite paralysed him, and his hands hung helplessly. But the quality of mercy belonged not to Todd's composition.
Again the huge stick was raised, and this time it fell upon the top of Lupin's head. The wretched man uttered one faint ugh and expired at once.
"Dead!" said Todd, as he stood gaunt and erect before his victim, with the stick stretched out in his hand. "Dead—quite dead. Ha!"
Todd made one of his old faces. He must at that moment have fancied himself engaged upon his ancient business in the cellars beneath his house in