The String of Pearls (1850), p. 572

In a moment, now, a faint blue light illumed the cell adjoining to Todd's, and as the religious lady had been kind enough to bring some little wax ends of candles, the prisoner lit one, and placing it upon the ledge left by the displaced brick in the wall, he put his face close to it, and looked at Todd.
Todd did the same thing, and looked at him.
"Humph," said the prisoner. "They are not going to hang you for your beauty, whoever you are, my friend."
"Nor you," said Todd, who was a little stung by this cool remark, "for I must say a more villanous looking countenance than yours I never saw in all my life."
"Then you certainly never looked in a glass."
"Hark you, my friend," said Todd. "If we are to aid each other in getting out of Newgate, it will not be by railing at each other through a square hole in the wall of our cells. We had better leave all remarks about our looks to other folks, and at once set to work about what is much more important, namely, breaking our way out of this most detestable of all places."
"Truly," said the other; "you speak wisdom, and the Lord—Pho! The deuce take it, when shall I get rid of the cant of the conventicle? My dear, sir, you see before you a man who has been a great victim."
"What is your name ?"
"Lupin they used to call me. The Reverend Josiah Lupin."
"Ah," said Todd. "I heard something of your case. I believe you murdered a woman, did you not?"
"Why, my friend," said Mrs. Oakley's old acquaintance, for indeed it was no other, "I don't mind confessing to you, that a woman met with a slight accident at my place, and they say I did it. But now that I have been so candid, pray who are you ?"
"They call me Todd."
The Reverend Mr. Lupin screwed up his mouth, and whistled.
"Humph," he said. "The religious lady only this morning told me all about you. You used to polish the people off in your barber's-shop, and then make them into pork pies, I believe?"
"Ha! ha!" said Todd.
"And you had a charming assistant in the shape of a lady, named Lovett, I have been informed. who used to help you to scrape the bones of the poor devils who had only just slipped in for a shave, and by no means expected such a scrape."
"Ha! ha!" said Todd.
"Stop a bit," said Mr. Lupin, "don't come that sort of laugh again. It don't sound at all pleasant. Well, I think we may manage to get out of Newgate, do you know, by a little hard work, if you are willing; but mind you, I don't want to be made a pork or a veal pie of, if you please."
"I never ate them myself," said Todd, "so there is no temptation; but I sincerely hope, my friend, that you do not believe one word of the many calumnies that have been heaped upon my character."
"Oh, dear no; and you, too, are well aware that I am the most falsely accused and innocent clergyman that ever lived."
"Perfectly."
"My dear, sir, you are a very reasonable man, and I don't see any reason on earth that we should not be capital friends from this moment. Just help me to move another of these stones, and I shall be able to creep through the opening into your cell."
Todd very kindly assisted the Reverend Mr. Lupin, and in the course of a few minutes, another of these large square blocks of stone that formed the wall of the cell being removed, he was able to creep through the aperture with the assistance of Todd.
"All's right," said Lupin, as he shook himself. "And now, my new friend, I will borrow the same file with which you released yourself from your fetters, and git rid of mine."

572 THE STRING OF PEAELS.

In a moment, now, a faint blue light illumed the cell adjoining to Todd's, and
as the religious lady had been kind enough to bring some little wax ends of
candles, the prisoner lit one, and placing it upon the ledge left by the displaced
brick in the wall, he put his face close to it, and looked at Todd.

Todd did the same thing, and looked at him.

"Humph/' said the prisoner. "They are not going to hang you for your
beauty, whoever you are, my friend."

" Nor you," said Todd, who was a little stung" by this cool remark, u for I
must say a more villanous looking countenance than yours I never saw in all my
life."

" Then you certainly never looked in a glass. 0

" Hark you, my friend, 1 ' said Todd. " If we are to aid each other in getting
out of Newgate, it will not be by railing at each other through a square hole in
the wall of our cells. We had better leave all remarks about our looks to other
folks, and at once set to work aboct what is much more important, namely,
breaking our way out of this most detestable of all places/'

" Truly/' said the other ; " you speak wisdom, and the Lord Pho ! The

deuce take it, when shall I get rid of the cant of the conventicle ? M y dear, sir,
you see before you a man who has been a great victim."

"What is your name ?"

" Lupin they used to call me. The Reverend Josiah Lupin.'*

46 Ah/' said Todd. H I heard something of your case. I believe you murdered
a woman, did you not ??"

" Why, my friend/' said Mrs. Oakley's old acquaintance, for indeed it
was no other, " I don't mind confessing to you, that a woman met with a slight
accident at my place, and they say I did it. But now that I have been so
candid, prav who are you ?"

" Thev call me Todd."

The Reverend Mr. Lupin screwed up his mouth, and whistled.

<c Humph," he said. u The religious lady only this morning told me all about
you. You used to polish the people off in you ba r ber's-shop, and then make
them into pork pies, I believe ?"

"Ha! ha!" said Todd.

ff And you had a charming assistant in the shape of a lady, named Lovett, I
have been informed. w r ho used to help you to scrape the bones of the poor devils
who had only just slipped in for a shave, and by no means expected such a scrape.'*

"Ha! ha!" said Todd.

" Stop a bit/' said Mr. Lupin, " don't come that sort of laugh again. It don't
sound at all pleasant. Well, I think we may manage to get out of Newgate,
do you know, by a little hard work, if you are willing ; but mind you, I don't
want to be made a pork or a veal pie of, if you please."

4< I never ate them myself," said Todd, " so there is no temptation ; but I
sincerely hope, my friend, that you do not believe one word of the many calumnies
that have been heaped upon my character t*

" Oh, dear no ; and you, too, are well aware that I am the most fals accused
and innocent clergyman that ever lived." e lv

"Perfectly."

" My dear, sir, you are a very reasonable man, and I don't see any reason on
earth that we should not be capital friends from this moment. Just help me
to move another of these stones, and I shall be able to creep through the opening
into your cell."

Todd very kindly assisted the Reverend Mr. Lupin, and in the course of a fetv
minutes, another of these large square blocks of stone that formed the wall of
the cell being removed, he was able to creep through the aperture with the
assistance of Todd.

" All's right," said Lupin, as he shook himself. « And now, my new friend, I
will borrow the same file with which you released yourself from your fetters, and
git rid of mine."