The String of Pearls (1850), p. 448

He stamped and swore and cursed in the most horrible manner that can possibly be conceived.
Feeling that Mrs. Lovett in the matter of her little private savings had been one too many for him, he looked rather hopelessly through the other rooms of the house. They were all completely vacant, and from the appearance of the dust upon the floors of them did not seem to have been entered for years past. He gave up the search in despair, and gloomily walked down stairs to the parlour again.
"It is lost," he said. "It is lost. Well, I must even be content with that which I have: I don't think any one will be the richer for what is here. No, no. It could not have escaped my search, and if it has done so by a miracle, or next thing to one, it will remain until the house falls to pieces years hence, perhaps, and fall into the hands of some one when I am de—No—no—what puts that word dead into my mouth? I hate to think of it! I am young in constitution, and shall live many—many years yet; oh, yes, I—I need have no fear of death."
Todd glared round him as though he expected that the very impersonification of the grim King of Terrors would rise up before him to take vengeance for being treated so slightingly; but all was still.
He wiped his brow again with the lace cap of Mrs. Lovett, which he had mechanically retained when he left the bed-room, and then he began to ask himself what should be done with the shop.
"For a few hours yet," he said, "a few short hours, there must be no disturbance and no commotion in this neighbourhood with which my name may possibly be connected. After that, they may do what they like and say what they like, but now all must be peace and silence. What shall I do with this confounded shop, now? I wish I had not given so strong a dose of the narcotic to yon, old woman, left in charge by Mrs. Lovett. Ah, what is that?"
The sound from the shop as of some one being violently sick, came upon Todd's ears.
"Ah," he said, "so the narcotic has taken that effect, has it, upon Mrs. Lovett's representative? Well, well, she will recover from it much sooner than
I thought she would, and that will now be all the better, for it absolves me of my difficulty about the shop for the next few hours."
He walked into the shop and found Mrs. Stag sitting up behind the counter, and in rather a dubious condition as regarded the peace of her stomach.
"Well, ma'am," said Todd. "How are you now?"
"The Lord have mercy upon us!"
Amen! But how came you in this state, ma'am?
"The pies, sir. The pies. You really have no idea of how very rich they are, sir. It's all along of the pies, that's all, sir ; but I am getting better, though my head is none of the best."
"Yes," said Todd. " Of course it was the very rich pies. It could not have
been what you drank."
"Oh, no, no. Oh, dear no. That wasn't enough to hurt an infant, sir, ash you ought to know. What a mercy it is that Mrs. Lovett has not come home, for she is rather a violent woman at times. It's really quite a mercy."
"She won't be home just yet, I think," said Todd. "You will have time to get completely to rights before you see her, and when you do see her I would advise you to make your peace with the other world as quickly as you can."
Todd closed the parlour door; and as it was only the lock that had given, it did not show much symptoms of what had happened to it; as that ia all likelihood Mrs. Stag, supposing that it was fast as she had first found it, would not pay any attention to it or scrutenise it sufficiently to be aware that it had been at all tampered with by any one.
"Only a few hours after all," muttered Todd, " and then I don't care what anybody thinks or says about this shop and its affairs, or about me in connection with them. Ah, I had quite forgotten. I wonder what Mrs. Lovett's cook is about ?"

448

THE STRING OF PEARLS.

He stamped and swore and cursed in the most horrible manner that can pos-
sibly be conceived.

Feeling that Mrs. Lovett in the matter of her little private savings had been
one too many for him, he looked rather hopelessly through the other rooms of
the house. They were all completely vacant, and from the appearance of the
dust upon the floors of them did not seem to have been entered for years past.
He gave up the search in despair, and gloomily walked down stairs to the
parlour again.

" It is lost," he said. *' It is lost. Well, I must even be content with that
which I have : I don't think any one will be the richer for what is here. No, no.
It could not have escaped my search) and if it has done so by a miracle, or next
thing to one, it will remain until the house falls to pieces years hence, perhaps,
and fall into the hands of some one when I am de — No — no — what puts that
word dead into my mouth ? I hate to think of it ! I am young in constitution,
and shall live many — many years yet ; oh, yes, I— I need have no fear of death/'

Todd glared round him as though he expected that the very impersonification
of the grim King of Terrors would rise up before him to take vengeance for
being treated so slightingly ; but all was still.

He wiped his brow again with the lace cap of Mrs. Lovett, which he had me-
chanically retained when he left the bed-room, and then he began to ask himself
what should be done with the shop.

** For a few hours yet," he said, " a few short hours, there must be no
disturbance and no commotion in this neighbourhood with which my name may
possibly be connected. After that, they may do what they like and say what they
like, but now all must be peace and silence. What shall 1 do with this con-
founded shop, now ? I wish I had not given so strong a dose of the narcotic to
yon, old woman, left in charge by Mrs. Lovett. Ah, what is that ?"

The sound from the shop as of some one being violently sick, came upon
Todd's ears.

"Ah/' he said, " so the narcotic has taken that effect, has it, upon Mrs.
Lovett's representative ? Well, well, she will recover from it much sooner than
I thought she would, and that will now be all the better, for it absolves me of
my difficulty about the shop for the next few hours."

He walked into the shop and found Mrs. Stag sitting up behind the counter,
and in rather a dubious condition as regarded the peace of her stomach.
Well, ma'am,'* said Todd. " How are you now ?"

" The Lord have mercy upon us !"
Amen ! But how came you in this state, ma'am ?*

"The pies, sir. The pies. You really have no idea of how very rich they
are, sir. It's all along of the pies, that's all, sir ; but I am getting better, though
my head is none of the best."

" Yes/' said Todd. " Of course it was the very rich pies. It could not have
been what you drank. 1 '

" Oh, no, no. Oh, dear no. That wasn't enough to hurt an infant, sir, as
you ought to know. What a mercy it is that Mrs. Lovett has not come home,
for she is rather a violent woman at times. It's really quite a mercy. H

" She won't be home just yet, I think/' said Todd. " You will have time to
get completely to rights before you see her, and when you do see her I would
advise you to make your peace with the other world as quickly as you can f '

Todd closed the parlour door ; and as it was only the lock that had given, it
did not show much symptoms of what had happened to it ; as that ia all likeli-
hood Mrs. Stag, supposing that it was fast as she had first found it, -would not
pay any attention to\it or scrutenise it sufficiently to be aware that it had been
at all tampered with by any one.

" Only a few hours after all," muttered Todd, " and then I don't care what
anybody thinks or says about this shop and its affairs, or about me in connec-
tion with them. Ah, I had quite forgotten. I wonder what Mis. Lovett's cook
is about ?"

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