The String of Pearls (1850), p. 308

"Behold!" he said, "one of the vaults of old St. Dunstan's."
For the space of about a minute and a half no one uttered a wod, so it behoves us to state what that vault contained, to strike such horror into the hearts of bold educated men. Piled one upon each other on the floor, and reaching half way up to the ceiling lay, a decomposing mass of human remains. Heaped up one upon another, heedlessly tossed into the disgusting heap any way, lay the gaunt skeletons with pieces of flesh here and there only adhering to the bones.
A steam—a foetid steam rose up from the dead, and upon the floor was a pool of corruption, creeping along as the declivities warranted. Eyes, teeth, hands half denuded of flesh—glistening vermin, shiny and sleek with the luxurious feeding they there got, slipped glibly in and out of the heaped-up horror.
"No more—no more!" cried the secretary. "I sicken," said his friend, "I am faint."
Sir Richard Blunt let go the door, and it slammed shut with a hollow sound.
"Thank God !" he said.
"For—for what?" gasped Mr, Villimay.
"That you and I, my friend, need not look upon this sight again. We are all sufficient evidence upon our oaths that it is here to see."
"Yes—yes."
"Come away," said the secretary. "You told me something of what was to see, Sir Richard Blunt, but my imagination did not picture it to be what it is."
" I told you that likewise, my lord."
"You did-you did."
With hurried steps they now followed the magistrate ; and it was with a feeling of exquisite relief that they all found themselves, after a few minutes, fairly
in the body of the church, and some distance from that frightful spectacle they had each thought it to be their duty to look upon.
"Let us go to the vestry/' said the secretary, "and take something. I am sick at heart and stomach both."
"And I am everything, and hungry too," cried a voice, and the Lord Mayor popped his head up from the churchwardens' pew.
No one could help laughing at this, although, to tell the truth, those men, after what they had seen, were in no laughing mood, as the reader may well imagine.
"Is that our friend, the King of the City?" said the secretary.
"It is," said Sir Richard.
"Well, I must say that he has set a good example of bravery in his dominions."
"He has indeed."
"Gentlemen—gentlemen/' added the Lord Mayor, as he rolled out of the churchwardens' pew, "don't think of going into the vestry without me, for it
was I who gave a hint to have refreshments put there, and I have been dying for some of them for this last half-hour, I assure you."

CHAPTER LXVIII.
RETURNS TO JOHANNA.

We return to Johanna Oakley.
*******
"What is the meaning of all this ?" said Sweeney Todd, as he sat in his shop about the hour of twelve on the morning following that upon which
Johanna Oakley and her friend Arabella had concerted so romantic a plan of operations regarding him.
"What is the meaning of all this? Am I going mad?"

" Behold !* he said, " one of the vaults of old St. Dunstan's."
For the space of about a minute and a half no one uttered a wod, so it behoves
us to state what that vault contained, to strike such horror into the hearts of
bold educated men. Piled one upon each other on the floor, and reaching half
way up to the ceiling lay, a decomposing mass of human remains. Heaped up
1 one upon another, heedlessly tossed into the disgusting heap any way, lay the
gaunt skeletons with pieces of flesh here and there only adhering to the bones.
A steam — a foetid steam rose up from the dead, and upon the floor was a pool of
corruption, creeping along as the declivities warranted. Eyes, teeth, hands half
denuded of flesh— glistening vermin, shiny and sleek with the luxurious feeding
they there got, slipped glibly in and out of the heaped-up horror.
■ € No more — no more !" cried the secretary.
gi I sicken, M said his friend, H I am faint/'

Sir Richard Blunt let go the door, and it slammed shut with a hollow sound

" Thank God !" he said.

" For— for what ?" gasped Mr, Villimay.

" That you and I, my friend, need not look upon this sight again. We are
all sufficient evidence upon our oaths that it is here to see/'
" Yes— yes."

"Come away/ said the secretary. "You told me something of what was to
see, Sir Richard Blunt, but my imagination did not picture it to be what it is."
" I told you that likewise, my lord."
" You did-you did."

With hurried steps they now followed the magistrate ; and it was with a feel-
ing of exquisite relief that they all found themselves, after a few minutes, fairly
in the body of the church, and some distance from that frightful spectacle they
had each thought it to be their duty to look upon.

9 " Let us go to the vestry/' said the secretary, " and take something. I am
sick at heart and stomach both/'

"And I am everything, and hungry too," cried a voice, and the Lord Mayor
popped his head up from the churchwardens' pew.

No one could help laughing at this, although, to tell the truth, those men,
after what they had seen, were in no laughing mood, as the reader may well

imagine.

" Is that our friend, the King of the City V* said the secretary.
" It is," said Sir Richard.

" Well, I must say that he has set a good example of bravery in his do-
minions/'

" He has indeed. "

" Gentlemen— gentlemen/' added the Lord Mayor, as he rolled out of the
churchwardens' pew, "don't think of going into the vestry without me, for it
was I who gave a hint to have refreshments put there, and I have been dying for
some of them for this last half-hour, I assure you."

CHAPTER LXVIil.

RETURNS TO JOHANNA.

We return to Johanna Oakley.

* * * * * * #

« What is the meaning of all this ?" said Sweeney Todd, as he sat in
his shop about the hour of twelve on the morning following that upon which
Johanna Oakley and her friend Arabella had concerted so romantic a plan
of operations regarding him. { " What is the meaning of all this ? Am I going
mad ?*