The String of Pearls (1850), p. 619

friends of that man Blunt, whom I so hate, that I have no words in which to express it!"
Todd crept up to the parlour door with the long knife in his hand that he had bought at the cutler's in Camden Town, and putting his eyes close to the pane of glass in the door, he looked in at the two men.
They really seemed to be quite comfortable, those two men. A bright fire was burning in the grate, and a kettle was singing away upon the hob at a great rate. A pack of cards, some pipes, and some glasses, were upon the table that they had dragged up close to the fire-side ; and they were, take them altogether, about as comfortable as anybody could well expect to be in that gloomy parlour of Todd's, at his house of murder in Fleet Street.
They were stout strong men though, and as Todd looked, he thought to himself, that with all his strength, and with all his desperate fighting for life, as he would do, it was not a desirable thing for him to come into personal contact with them.
"Cunning," he muttered, "will do more than strength. I must bide my time—but I will kill them both if they are in my way, and that they will be, is nearly past a doubt!"
"There," said the man who was mixing the brandy-and-water, "there, you will find that a stiff comfortable glass; lots of brandy, and lots of sugar, and only water enough to make it hot and steamy."
"You know how to mix, Bill," said the other, as he took a drop and then was obliged to cough and wink again, it was so strong and hot.
"Ah," thought Todd, "if it would only choke you!"
The other man then took his drink at the brandy, and he too coughed and winked, and then they both laughed and declared how precious strong it was, and one of them said—
"The fun of it is, that it was old Todd's; and when he laid in such good stuff as this, he little thought that we would be enjoying it. I wonder where he is?"
"Oh, he's far enough off by this time, poking about at some of the sea-ports to try to get away, you may depend."
"Is he," muttered Todd; "you will find, my kind friend, that I am near enough to cut your throat, I hope."

CHAPTER CXLV.
TODD HAS A NARROW ESCAPE, AND HAS A BIT OF REVENGE.

It was quite a provoking thing, and gall and wormwood to Todd in a manner of speaking, to see those two boisterous men enjoying themselves in his parlour. There could be no doubt in the world, but that if he had had the means then and there to do so, he would have hurled destruction upon them both forthwith; but he could only look at them now, and wait for a better opportunity.
The fact was, that now, for the first time, Todd found that the architecture of his old place of residence was far from being of the most convenient order; inasmuch as you could not get to the staircase leading to the upper part of the residence, without going through the parlour; so that he was a prisoner in the
shop.
"I tell you what it is, Bill," said one of the men, assuming quite a philosophical look. "That fellow, Todd, as used to live here, after all, was some use to society."
"Was he?"
"Yes, to be sure. Can't you guess?"
"Not I. I can't see what use a fellow can be to society who cuts folks throats."