The String of Pearls (1850), p. 215

the shop-door, and narrowly escaped a blow upon the head, that would have
finished their mortal career.
"Hilloa! Are you mad?"
"Mad!" said Todd.
"Yes: do you knock folks' brains out when they come to be shaved?"
"Mine's a sedentary employment/' said Todd, and when I am alone, I like exercise to open my chest. That's all. Ain't it rather late to be shaved? I was just about to shut up."
"Why it is rather late, Mr. Todd ; but the fact is, I am going to York by the early coach from the Bullfinch Inn, opposite, and I want a shave before I get upon my journey, as I shan't have an opportunity you see, again, for some time."
"Very well, sir."
"Come in, Charley."
"Todd started."
"What's that?" he said. He felt afraid that it was the dog again, under some new name. Truly, conscience was beginning to make a coward of Sweeney Todd, although he denied to himself the possession of such an article. Charley came in the shape of a little boy, of about eight years of age.
"Now you sit down, and don't do any mischief," said the father, "while I get Mr. Todd to shave me. I am a late customer indeed. You see the coach goes in two hours, and as I have got to call the last thing upon Alderman Stantons, I thought I would be shaved first, and my little lad here would come with me."
"Oh, certainly, sir," said Todd; "I believe I have the pleasure of speaking
to Mr. Brown, the silversmith."
"Yes—yes. The alderman gave me some jewels, worth about three thousand
pounds, to re-set, and though they are not done, I really don't like to have
them at home while I take such a journey, so I want to lodge them with him
again until I come back."
Todd lathered away at Mr. Brown's chin, as he said with an air of innocence—
"Can you carry so many jewels about with you, sir?"
"So many? Aye, ten times as many. Why they are all in a little narrow case, that would not hold a pair of razors."
"Indeed!"
Todd began the shaving.
"And so this is your little boy? A sharp lad, no doubt."
"Tolerable."
"The whiskers as they are, sir ?"
"Oh, yes—yes."
"I suppose you never trust him out alone in the streets?"
"Oh, yes; often."
"Is it possible. Well, now, I should hardly have thought it. What a sweet
child he looks, and such a nice complexion, too. It's quite a pleasure to see him.
I was considered myself a very fine child a good while ago."
Todd took care to lift the razor judiciously, so as to give Mr. Brown opportunities of replying; and the silversmith said—
"Oh, yes : he's a nice little fellow. He s got his mother s complexion."
"And he shan't lose it," said Todd, "if there's any virtue in pearlometrical
savonia."
"In what?"
"Oh, that's the name I give to a soap that preserves the complexion m all its
purity. I have only a small parcel of it, so I don't sell it, but I give it away now
and then, to my lady customers. Excuse me for one moment."
"Oh, certainly."
Todd opened a glass case, and took out two pieces of soap, of a yellowish tint.

'■ " I - m "

THE STRING OF PEARLS. 215

*

■ 1 — — " ' .I. . i . — i i i - . • !■ i ■ „ , i. ' ' ■■»

the shop -door, and narrowly escaped a blow upon the head, that would have
finished their mortal career.
u Hilloa ! Are you mad f*

" Mad !" said Todd. /
"Yes : do you knock folks' brains out when they come to be shaved? 1 *
" Mine's a sedentary employment/' said Todd, and when I am alone, I like

exercise to open my chest. That's all. Ain't it rather late to be shaved ? I was

just about to shut up."

" Why it is rather late, Mr. Todd ; but the fact is, I am going to York by the

early coach from the Bullfinch Inn, opposite, and I want a shave before I get

upon my journey, as 1 shan't have an opportunity you see, again, for some

time .*

" Very well, sir."
" Come in, Charley."

" Todd started." 1
"What's that?" he said. He felt afraid that it was the dog again, under |
some new name. Truly, conscience was beginning to make a coward of Sweeney
Todd, although he denied to himself the possession of such an article. Charley
came in the shape of a little boy, of about eight years of age.

" Now you sit down, and don't do any mischief," said the father, " while I
get Mr. Todd to shave me. I am a late customer indeed. You see the coach
goes in two hours, and as I have got to call the last thing upon Alderman
Stantons, I thought I would be shaved first, and my little lad here would come
with me."

" Oh, certainly, sir/' said Todd ; " I believe I have the pleasure of speaking
to Mr. Brown, the silversmith."

" Yes — yes. The alderman gave me some jewels, worth about three thousand
pounds, to re-set, and though they are not done, I really don't like to have
them at home while I take such a journey, so I want to lodge them with him
again until I come back."

Todd lathered away at Mr. Brown's chin, as he said with an air of inno-
cence—

€i Can you carry so many jewels about with you, sir?"

u So many ? Aye, ten times as many. Why they are all in a little narrow
case, that would not hold a pair of razors."
"Indeed!"

Todd began the shaving.

« And so this is your little boy ? A sharp lad, no doubt.'*
" Tolerable."

ct The whiskers as they are, sir ?"
" Oh, yes — yes."

" I suppose you never trust him out alone in the streets ?"

" Oh, yes ; often." .

" Is it possible. Well, now, I should hardly have thought it. What a sweet
child he looks, and such a nice complexion, too. It's quite a pleasure to see him.
I was considered myself a very fine child a good while ago."

Todd took care to lift the razor judiciously, so as to give Mr. Brown opportu-
nities of replying ; and the silversmith said— 5>

" Oh, yes : he's a nice little fellow. He s got his mother s complexion.

" And he shan't lose it," said Todd, « if there's any virtue in pearlometncal
savonia"

"In what?" . . . 115fft

A Oh, that's the name I give to a soap that preserves the complexion m all its
purity. I have only a small parcel of it, so I don't sell it, but I give it away now
and then, to my lady customers. Excuse me for one moment."

"Oh, certainly." . . h

Todd opened a glass case, and took out two pieces of soap, of a yellowisu

tint.