The String of Pearls (1850), p. 646

"Then, it's just this," said Mark. "We are going out of London, and I want you both to come with us, for I know very well if you don't, that you will be as miserable as possible, thinking of Johanna, and that Johanna will be in much the same state thinking of you, and that you will dream every night of Todd."
The old couple looked at each other with surprise and gratification. Mr. Oakley took off his spectacles, and said—
"My dear boy, do you know, I was just going to say that—that—"
"That, in fact," put in Mrs. Oakley, "we would be glad to go with you, if you would let us, for Sir Richard said he would advise you both to go out of London, and leave him to find out and hang Todd at his leisure, you know."
"Yes, that was it," said the old man. "That was the very thing that brought us over here, my dears; so if you will only be so good—"
"Come, come," said Mark, "it is, you must be so good. I asked you first, you know, so you do us the favour. Is not that it, Johanna? Of course it is."
"You are very, very good and kind, Mark."
"Oh, stuff! not at all; I say what I like, that's all, and when I say that it would please me mightily to have your father and mother with us, Johanna, where we are going, I mean it from my heart, as you know well."
"I know you do, Mark. And poor Tobias, father, is to be with us likewise. You have heard all about poor Tobias?"
"Oh, yes—yes."
"Well, then, Sir Richard Blunt told us that it would be the death of the poor lad if he should be in London and hear that Todd has escaped from Newgate. So we gladly agreed to take him with us, for he—more than any one—has suffered deeply from Todd's wickedness."
"Hilloa!" cried Mark, as he glanced from the window. "If here is not another coach at the door!"
"Oh, who is it?" said Mrs. Oakley. "It's Todd, of course, come to kill us all!"
"I hope it is," said Mark. "I'll soon set you all at rest about him. But only look! It it ain't the colonel, and Arabella, and Tobias. Well, if Todd wants to be down upon us all at once, now is his time certainly to do so."
In a few moments, the colonel and Arabella were shown into the room, and they were quite surprised to see the Oakleys there; but while Johanna and Arabella were embracing each other. Mark Ingestrie went up to the colonel, and pointing slightly to Tobias, he whispered—
"Does he know?"
"Oh, no—no."
"Very good; but he had better, I am convinced, for it will be sure to slip out in conversation, some time or another, and then the poor lad will think much more of it than as if it were told to him in a quiet manner by his friends, for he will think that there is more to conceal than there really is. I am convinced that such will be the case."
"Then we will take an opportunity of telling him, but not just now. I want to speak to Johanna."
"There she is, then.''
"And what does he want to say to me?" said Johanna, as she shook hands with the colonel.
"Why, a—the fact is that—that, in fact, Sir Richard told me he would advise you to go out of town; and as I am pretty well aware that you set sufficient store by his advice to follow it, I think it is very likely you will go out of town."
"And so, dear," put in Arabella, "and so, dear, in a word, we want to go with you, if you think that such an arrangement will not be disagreeable to you."
"Now, that is the unkindest thing you have said, Arabella, for a long time. How could you suppose that it would be other than most agreeable to me to have with us such valued friends?"

m THE STRING OE PEARLS.

"^fhen^s just this/' said Mark. " We are going out of London, and I
want you both to come with us, for I know very well if you don't, that you will
be as miserable as possible, thinking of Johanna, and that Johanna will be in
much the same state thinking of you, and that you will dream every night of
Todd/'

The old couple looked at each other with surprise and gratification. Mr.
Oakley took off his spectacles, and said —

" My dear boy, do you know, I was just going to say that — that "

"That, in fact/' put in Mrs. Oakley, " we would be glad to go with you, if
you would let us, for Sir Richard said he would advise you both to go out of
London, and leave him to find out and hang Todd at his leisure, you know/

<* Yes, that was it" said the old man. That was the very thing that brought
us over here r my dears ; so if you will only be so good

" Come, come/' said Mark, " it is, you must be so good. I asked you first,
you know, so you do us the favour. Is not that it, Johanna ? Of course it is."

u You are very, very good and kind, Mark."

"Oh, stuff! not at all; I say what I like, that's all, and when I say that it
would please me mightily to have your father and mother with us, Johanna,
where we are going, I mean it from my heart, as you know well. '

" I know you do, Mark. And poor Tobias, father, is to be with us likewise.
You have heard all about poor Tobias ?"

a Oh, yes—yes."

" Well, then, Sir Richard Blunt told us that it would be the death of the poor
lad if he should be in London and hear that Todd has escaped from Newgate.
So we gladly agreed to take him with us, for he — more than any one — has
suffered deeply from Todd's wickedness."

" Hilloa I'- cried Mark, as he glanced from the window. M If here is not another
coach at the door IV

" Oh, who is it ?" said Mrs. Oakley. "It's Todd, of course, come to kill
us all!'

" I hope it is/' said Mark. " I'll soon set you all at rest about him. But
only look ! It it ain t the colonel, and Arabella, and Tobias. Well, if Todd
wants to be down upon us all at once, now is his time certainly to do so."

In a few moments, the colonel and Arabella were shown into the room, and
they were quite surprised to see the Oakleys there ; but while Johanna and
Arabel ! a were embracing each other. Mark Ingestrie went up to the colonel, and
pointing slightly to Tobias, he whispered—

"Does he know?"

"Oh, no— no."

r Very good ; but he had better, I am convinced, for it will be sure to slip
out in conversation, some time or another, and then the poor lad will think
much more of it than as if it were told to him in a quiet manner by his friends,
for he will think that there is more to conceal than there really is. I am con-
vinced that such will be the ca^e '

" Then we will take an opportunity of telling him, but not just now. I want
to speak to Johanna,"
"There she is, then.''

" And what does he want to say to me ?" said Johanna, as she shook hands
with the colonel.

« Why, a— the fact is that— that, in fact, Sir Richard told me he would
advise you to go out of town; and as I am pretty well aware that you set suffi-
cient store by his advice to follow it, 1 think it is very likely you will go out of

town."

4 And so, dear," put in Arabella, " and so, dear, in a word, we want to go
with you, if you think that such an arrangement will not be disagreeable to you."

" Now, that is the unkindest thing you have said/Arabella, for a long time.
How could you suppose that it would be other than most agreeable to me to
have with us such valued friends ?"