The String of Pearls (1850), p. 380

Then he heard voices in one of the parlours.
"Confound them!" said Todd, "they will hear me open the street door to a certainty; but it must be done.''
He crept up to the door. There was some complicated latch upon it that defied all his knowledge of latches, and all his perseverance; and yet, no doubt, it was something that only required a touch; but he might be hours in finding out in the dark where to apply that touch.
He still heard the voices in the parlour.
More than five minutes—precious minutes to him—had already been consumed in fumbling at the lock of the street door; and then Todd gave it up as useless, and he crept to the parlour-door to listen to the speakers, and so, perhaps, ascertain the force that was within.
A female voice was speaking.
"Oh, dear me, yes, I daresay," it said. "You no doubt think that house can be kept for nothing, and that a respectable female wants no clothes to her back; but I can tell you, Mr. Simmons, that you will find yourself wonderfully mistaken, sir."
"Pshaw!" said a man's voice. "Pshaw! I know what I mean, and so do you. You be quiet wife, and think yourself well off, that you are as you are."
"Well off?"'
"Yes, to be sure, well off."
"Well off, when I was forced to go to Mr. Rickups party, in the same dress they saw me in last Easter. Oh! you brute!"
"What's the matter with the dress?"
"The matter? Why I'll tell you what the matter is. The matter is, and the long and short of everything, that you are a brute."
"Very conclusive indeed. The deuce take me if it ain't."
"I suppose by the deuce, you mean the devil, Mr. Simmons; and if he don't take you some day, he won't have his own. Ha! ha. For you may laugh, but there's many a true word spoken in jest, Mr. Simmons."
"Oh, you are in jest, are you?"
"No sir, I am not, and 1 should like to know what woman could jest with only one black silk, and that turned. Yes, Mr. Simmons, you often call upon the deuce to take this, and to take that. Mind he don't come some day to you when you least expect it sir, and say—"
"Lend me a light!" said Tood, popping his awfully ugly face right over the top of the half open door, a feat which he was able to accomplished by standing on his tip toes.
There are things that can be described, but certainly the consternation of Mr. and Mrs. Simmons cannot be included in the list. They gazed upon the face of
Todd in speechless horror, nor did he render himself a bit less attractive by several of his most hideous contortions of visage.
Finding then that both husband and wife appeared spell-bound, Todd stepped into the room, and taking a candle from the table, he stalked into the passage with it.
The light in his hand threw a light upon the mystery of the lock. Todd opened the street-door, and passed out in a moment. To hurl the candle and candle-
stick into the passage, and close the door, was the next movement of Todd, but then he saw two figures upon the steps leading to Colonel Jeffery's house, and
he shrunk back a moment.
"Now William," said Colonel Jeffery himself, "you will take this letter to Sir Richard Blunt, and tell him to use his own discretion about it."
"Yes, sir."
"Be quick, and give i into no hands but his own."
"Certainly, sir."
"Remember, William, this is important."
The groom touched his hat and went away at a good pace, and Colonel Jeffery himself closed the door.

380

THE STRING OF PEARLS/

Then he heard voices in one of the par'ours.

" Confound them !" said Todd, " the^ will hear me open the street door to a
certainty ; but it must be done.''

He crept up to the door. There was some complicated latch upon it that
defied all his knowledge of latches, and all his perseverance ; and yet, no doubt,
it was something that only required a touch ; but he might be hours in finding
out in the dark where to apply that touch.

He still heard the voices in the parlour.

More than five minutes— ■ precious minutes to him — had already been con-
sumed in fumbling at the lock of the street door ; and then Todd gave it up as
useless, and he crept to the parlour-door to listen to the speakers, and so,
perhaps, ascertain the force that was within.

A female voice was speaking.

€i Oh, dear me, yes, I daresay/' it said. " You no doubt think that house
can be kept for nothing, and that a respectable female wants no clothes to her
back; but I can tell you, Mr. Simmons, that you will find yourself wonderfully
mistaken, sir."

" Pshaw !" said a man's voice. " Pshaw ! I know what I mean, and so do
you. You be quiet wile, and think yourself well off, that you are as you are."
"Well off?"'

u Yes, to be sure, well off."

" Well off, when I was forced to go to Mr. Rickups party, in the same dress
they saw me in last Easter. Oh ! you brute !"
" What's the matter with the dress ?"

u The matter ? Why I'll tell you what the matter is. The matter is, and the
long and short of everything, that you are a brute."

u Very conclusive indeed. The deuce take me if it ain't."

u I suppose by the deuce, you mean the devil, Mr. Simmons ; and if he don't
take you some day, he won't have his own. Ha! ha. r you may laugh, but
there's many a true word spoken in jest, Mr. Simmons/'

u Oh, you are in jest, are you ?" 1

" No sir, I am not, and 1 should like to know what woman could jest with
only one black silk, and that turned. Yes, Mr. Simmons, you often call upon
the deuce to take this, and to take that. Mind he don't come some day to you
when you least expect it sir, and say *

" Lend me a light !" said Tood, popping his awfully ugly face right over the
top of the half ©pen door, a feat which he was able to accomplished by standing
on his tip toes.

There are things that can be described, but certainly the consternation of Mr.
and Mrs. Simmons cannot be included in the list. They gazed upon the face of
Todd in speechless horror, nor did he render himself a bit less attractive by
several of his most hideous contortions of visage.

Finding then that both husband and wife appeared spell-bound, Todd stepped
into the room, and taking a candle from the table, he stalked into the passage /
with it.

The light inhis hand threw a light upon the mystery of the lock. Todd opened \
the street-door, and passed out in a moment. To hurl the candle and candle-
stick into the passage, and close the door, was the next movement of Todd, but
then he saw two figures upon the steps leading to Colonel Jeffery's house, and
he shrunk back a moment.

u Now William," said Colonel Jeffery himself, "you will take this letter to
Sir Richard Blunt, and tell him to use his own discretion about it."

"Yes, sir."

" Be quick, and give i into no hands but his own."
" Certainly, sir."

cf Remember, William, this is important."

The groom touched his hat/and went away at a good pace, and Colonel
Jeffery himself closed the door.