The String of Pearls (1850), p. 358

earnest course that is a foe to rapid locomotion, so they had not got many yards from Todd's door. He Was rarely seen, however, for either to—
"Paint a moral or adorn a tale"
Mrs. Ragg turned suddenly and pointed to the shop, and then both the ladies lifted up their hands as though in horror, after which they resumed their deep
and all-absorbing discourse as before. Todd followed them closely, and yet with abundance of caution.

CHAPTER LXXX.
THE NIGHT IS COMING.

The two females took their way to the Temple. Todd had been quite right in his conjectures. The friend of Mrs. Ragg was one of the old compatriots of the laundress tribe; and that good lady herself, although, while there was no temptation to do otherwise, she had kept well the secret of her son's residence at Colonel Jeffery's, broke down like a frail and weak vessel as she was with the weight of the secret the moment she got into a gossip with an old friend.
Now Mrs. Ragg had only come into that neighbourhood upon some little errand of her own, and with a positive promise of returning to the colonel's house as
soon as possible. She would have kept this promise, but that amid the purlieus of Fetter-lane she encountered Martha Jones her old acquaintance. One word begot another, and at last as they walked up Fleet-street. Mrs. Ragg could not help, with many head-shakings and muttered interactional phrases, letting Martha Jones know that she had a secret. Nay, as she passed Todd's shop, she could not help intimating that she fully believed certain persons, not a hundred miles off, who might be barbers or who might not, would some day come to a bad end in front of Newgate, in the Old Bailey. It was at this insinuation that
Martha Jones lifted up her hands, and Mrs. Ragg lifted up hers in sympathy. Todd had seen this action upon the part of the ladies. To overhear what they were saying was to Todd a great object. That it in some measure concerned him, he could not for a moment doubt, since the head-shaking and hand-uplifting reference that had been made to his shop by them both as they passed, could not mean anything else. And so, as we have said, he followed them cautiously, dodging behind bulky passengers, so that they should not see him by any sudden glance backwards. One corpulent old lady served him for a shield half up Fleet Street, until, indeed, she turned into a religious bookseller's shop, and left him nothing but thin passengers to interfere between him and the possibility of observation. But Mrs. Ragg and her friend Martha Jones were much too fully engaged to look behind them. In due course, they arrived opposite to the Temple; and then, after much flurrying, in consequence of real and supposed danger from the passing vehicles, they got across the way. They at once dived into the recesses of the legally-learned Temple. Todd dashed after them.
"Now, my dear Mrs. Ragg," said Martha Jones, "you must not say No. It s got a beautiful head upon it, and will do you good.*
"No—no. Really."
"Like cream."
"But, really, I—I—"
"Come, come, it ain't often you is in the Temple, and I know very well he don't miss a bottle now and then; and 'twix you and me and the pump, I think we has as much a right to that beautiful bottled ale as Mr. Juggas has, for I'd take my bible oath, he don't mean to pay for it, Mrs. Ragg."
"You don't say so?"
"Yes, I does, Mrs. Ragg. Oh, he's a bad un, he is. Ah, Mrs. Ragg, you don t know, nor nobody else, what takes place in his chambers of a night."
"Is it possible ?"

358

earnest course that is a foe to rapid locomotion, so they had not got many yards
from Todd's door. He Was rarely seen, however, for either to —

" Paint a moral or adorn a tale'*
Mrs. Ragg turned suddenly and pointed to the shop, and then both the ladies
lifted up their hands as though in horror, ?fter which they resumed their deep
and all-absorbing discourse as before. Todd followed them closely, and yet wit
abundance of caution.

CHAPTER LXXX.

TI*E NIGHT IS COMING.

The two females took their way ta the Temple. Todd had been quite right
in his conjectures. The friend of Mrs. Ragg was one of the old compatriots of
the laundress tribe ; and that good lady herself, although, while there was no
temptation to do otherwise, she had kept well the secret of her son's residence
at Colonel JefFery's, broke down like a frail and weak vessel as she Wcis with
the weight of the secret the moment she got into a gossip with an old friend.
Now Mrs. Ragg had only come into that neighbourhood upon some little errand
of her own, and with a positive promise of returning to the colonel's house as
soon as possible. She would have kept this promise, but that amid the purlieus
of Fetter-lane she encountered Martha Jones her old acquaintance. One word
begot another, and at last as they walked up Fleet-street. Mrs. Rhgg could not
help, with many head-shakings and muttered interactional phrases, letting Martha
| Jones know that she had a secret. Nay, as she passed Todd's shop, she could
not help intimating that she fully believed certain persons, not a hundred miles
off, who might be barbers or who mi^htnot, would some day come to a bad
end in front of Newgate, in the Old Bailey. It was at this insinuation that
Martha Jones lifted up her hands, and Mrs. Ragg lifted up hers in sympathy.
Tbdd bad seen this action upon the part of the ladies. To overhear what they
were saying was to Todd a great object. That it in some measure concerned himj
he could not for a moment doubt, since the head-shaking and hand-uplifting re-
ference that had been made to his shop by them both as they passed, could not
mean anything else. And so, as we have said, he followed them cautiously,
dodging behind bulky passengers, so that they should not see him by any sudden
glance backwards. One corpulent old lady served him for a shield half up Fleet
Street, until, indeed, she turned into a religious bookseller's shop, and left him
nothing but thin passengers to interfere between him and the possibility of
j observation. But Mrs. Ragg and her friend Martha Jones were much too fully
engaged to look behind them. In due course, they arrived opposite to the
Temple; and then, after much flurrying, inconsequence of real and supposed
danger from the passing vehicles, they got across the way. They at once
dived into the recesses of the legally-learned Temple. Todd dashed after them.

^Now, my dear Mrs. Ragg," said Martha Jones, " you must not say No.
it s got a beautiful head upon it, and will do you zood.*

"No— no. Really."

"Like cream."

u But, really, I— I "

"^Come, come, it ain't often you is in the Temple, and I know very well he
don't miss a bottle now and then ; and 'twix you and me aad the pump, I think
we has as much a right to that beautiful bottled ale as Mr. Juggas has, for I'd
take my bible oath, he don't mean to pay for it, Mrs. Ragg."

" You don't say so ?" *

« Yes, I does, Mrs. Ragg. Oh, he's a bad un, he is. Ah, Mrs. Ra»g, you
don t know, nor nobody else, what takes place in his chambers of a night."
" Is it possible ?"