The String of Pearls (1850), p. 610

Todd rather chuckled over this pleasant idea of a lodging in the Old Bailey. It was just one of the notions that, for its practical extravagance, rather pleased him than otherwise, but although it had something to recommend it, it required rather more boldness than even he was master of to carry it out.
But such thoughts sufficed to amuse him until darkness was upon the face of the land, and to withdraw his thoughts from other and more tormenting matters; so that for a time he even forgot the seemingly supernatural laugh that had sounded so oddly behind him, and produced in him such a world of alarm.
He heard the clock of Hampstead Church proclaim the hour of nine, and then he thought that he might venture from his place of concealment; and yet it will be seen that Todd had not been able to concoct any definite plan of operations. Then he was wishing to do many things, and yet unable in that anxious state of his fortunes to do anything at all.
Truly, Sir Richard Blunt was right enough when he said that Todd, for a time, would be much too busy with his own affairs to take any active step for the accomplishment of any of his revenges.
In the wood, now, the darkness was so great, that literally you could not see your hand before your face; and the only plan by which he could leave it was by blundering right on, and trusting to get out at any point to which his chance steps might lead him. In about a quarter of an hour he came to a rather precipitous bank, which he clambered up, and then^ he found himself on the outskirts of the wood, and not far from the village.
He heard some one coming along the road-way, and whistling as he came. The moon was struggling against the shadowing influence of a mass of clouds in
the horizon, and Todd felt that in a little time the whole place would be light enough.
"Am I sufficiently unlike myself," he said, "to trust an appearance in the village? I want food, and most of all, I want drink. Yes, now more than ever; I cannot pretend to live without stimulants. Yes, I will risk it, and then I will go to London."
He sprang down into the road, and in as careless a manner as he could, he walked on in the direction that he thought would take him to the village.
The man who was whistling as he came along, rather increased his pace, and to the great alarm of Todd, overtook him, and said—
"A fine night, sir, shall have? The moon is getting up nicely now, sir!"
Todd breathed a little more freely. After all, it was not an enemy, but only one of those people so common in places a little way out of town, who are talkative to any one they may meet, for the mere love of talking. For once in his life, Todd determined upon being wonderfully gracious, and he replied quite in a tone of serenity—
"Yes, it is a nice night ; and, as you say, the moon is rising beautifully."
"Yes, sir," added the man, who was carrying something that Todd "could not, for the life of him, make out. '* Yes, sir, and I am not sorry to get home, now. I have been all round by Hendon, Golders Green, and Finchley, sticking bills."
"Bills?"
"Yes, sir, about the murderer, Todd, you know."
"Oh, ah!"
"You know, sir, he has got out of Newgate, and there's five hundred pounds reward offered by the guvment for him. A nice little set up that would be, sir for any one, wouldn't it, sir?"
"Very."
"All the bill-stickers round London have had a job in putting up the bills, and they say that if it costs a million of money they intend to have him."
"And very proper too," said Todd. "Can you spare a bill, my friend?"
"Oh, yes. There's hand ones as well as posters. Here's one, sir, and you'll find a description of him. Oh, don't I only wish I could come across