The String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance.
Minna smiled to herself, and she was far from wondering that the colonel
was off like a shot, for well she knew, that when Mrs. Ragg did begin
anything concerning the late Mr. Ragg, it usually lasted three quarters
of an hour at the very least.
"Minna, Minna!" called Tobias.
"I am here, Tobias."
In another moment she was in the room. Truly it was a pleasant thing to
see the face of Tobias, when, his sunshine, as he called Minna, came
close to him, and in her soft voice asked him if he was better.
"Don't mind me," said Mrs. Ragg, "I am going to darn a stocking or two.
that's all. Just say what you both like. Young folks will be young
folks. Bless me, I recollect just as if it were only yesterday, when I
used to speak to poor departed Mr. Ragg, who is, premature, dead and
gone, in a manner of speaking. Ah, dear me! How the world goes round and
round--round and round, continually."
Tobias and Minna were so well accustomed to the garrulity of Mrs. Ragg,
and so well aware that she required no answer, that they let her talk
on, and did not mind her, as she requested they would not; and so the
evening grew apace, and the light gradually began to wane, as those two
young loving hearts spoke together of the future, and indulged in that
day dream of happiness which can only belong to youth and love.
* * * * *
Todd is skulking round the angle of the garden wall, from which he can
get a view of the colonel's house, and yet not be seen himself.
The more he looked the more the desire grew upon him, notwithstanding
the immense risk he ran of personal detection, by so doing, to get into
the house, and finish the career of poor Tobias. He would have had no
particular objection rather to have taken the life of Mrs. Ragg, if it
could be easily and comfortably done.
It has been said that there are folks in the world who never forgive any
one for doing them a kindness; and such paradoxical views of human
nature have been attempted to be laid down as truths; but whether this
be so or not, is still to be proved, although it is certain that nothing
stirs the evil passions of men who will inflict injury upon the
innocent, as to find themselves baffled in their villany. From that
moment the matter becomes a personal affair of vengeance.
Hence, since Todd had become thoroughly aware that Tobias had escaped
from the death he had intended for him at the mad-house, his rage
against the boy knew no bounds.
Indeed, the reader will conclude that it must have been a feeling of no
ordinary strength, that, at such a busy and ticklish time, would take
Todd to the colonel's house at all.
It was revenge--bitter, uncompromising revenge!
Now, you must know the colonel's house was one of those half-villa,
half-mansion-like residences, that are so common in the neighbourhood of
London. There was a kind of terrace in the front, and a garden with
flowering shrubs, that had a pretty enough appearance, and which at
night afforded abundance of shelter.
It was by this front garden that Todd hoped to reach the house.
When it was nearly dark, he slunk in, crouching down among the trees and
shrubs, and crawling along like a serpent as he was. He soon came to a
flight of stone steps that led to the kitchens.
By the time Todd had got thus far, some of her domestic duties had
called Mrs. Ragg to the lower part of the house. He saw by the
fire-light that some one was going about the kitchen, close to the foot
of the stone steps; but he could not exactly, by that dim and uncertain
radiance, take upon himself to say that it was Mrs. Ragg.
She soon lit a candle, though, and then all was clear. He saw the good
lady preparing divers lights for the upper rooms.
While Todd was half-way down the stone steps, peeping into the kitchen,
one of the other servants of the house came into that receptacle for
culinary articles, and commenced putting on a bonnet and shawl. Todd
could not hear one word of what was said by Mrs. Ragg and this young
woman who was getting ready to go out; but he saw them talk, and by
their manner he felt convinced that it was only upon ordinary topics.
If the young woman left the house by the steps upon which Todd was, and
which it was more than likely she would do, his situation would be
anything but a pleasant one, and discovery would be certain.
To obviate the chance of this, he stepped back, and crouched down in
among the shrubs in the garden.
He was not wrong in his conjectures, for in a few moments the servant,
who was going out, ascended the steps, and passed him so closely, that
by stretching out his hand, he could, if he had been so minded, have
touched her dress. In a short time she was out of ear-shot.
Todd emerged from his concealment again, and crept down the steps, and
once more peeped into the kitchen.
Mrs. Ragg was still busy with the candles.
He was just considering what he should do, when he heard the tramp of
horses' feet in the road above. He ascended sufficient of the steps to
enable himself to get a peep at what was going on. He saw a groom well
mounted, and leading another horse. Then no other than Colonel Jeffrey
himself, although he did not of his own knowledge, feel assured that it
was him, come out at the front door of the house and mounted.
"Now, William," said the colonel, "we must ride sharply."
"Yes, sir," said the groom.
Another moment and they were gone.
"This is lucky," said Todd. "It is not likely that there is any other
room in the house; and if not, I have the game in my own hands."
He crept down the remainder of the stone steps, and placed his ear quite
close to the kitchen window.
Mrs. Ragg was enjoying a little conversation to herself.
"Ah!" she said, "it's always the way--girls will be girls; but what I
blame her for is, that she don't ask the colonel's leave at once, and
say--'Sir, your _disorderly_ has won my _infections_, and may he come
here and take a cup of tea?'"
This was Greek to Todd.
"What is the old fool talking about," he muttered. "But I will soon give
her a subject that will last for her life."
He now arrived at the door of the kitchen. It was very unlikely to be
locked or otherwise fastened, so immediately after the young woman, who
had left the house, and passed so close to him, Todd. Yet he listened
for a few moments more, as Mrs. Ragg kept making observations to
herself.
"Listeners hear no good of themselves, says the proverb, and at all
events it was verified in this instance."
"_Lor' a mussy_," ejaculated Mrs. Ragg, "how my mind do run upon that
horrid old ugly monster of a Todd to day. Well, I do hope I shall never
look upon his frightful face again, and how awful he did squint, too.
Dear me, what did the colonel say he had with his vision--could it be--a
something _afixity_? No that isn't it."
"Obliquity!" said Todd, popping his head in at the kitchen door. "It was
obliquity, and if you scream or make the least alarm, I'll skin you, and
strew this kitchen with your mangled remains!"
Mrs. Ragg sank into a chair with a melo-dramatic groan, that would have
made her fortune over the water in domestic tragedy if she could have
done it so naturally. Todd kept his eye upon her. That basilisk-like
eye, which had fascinated the good woman often, and this time it acted
as a kind of spell, for truly might he have said, or rather might some
one have said for him,
"He held her with his glittering eye."
Todd's first care now was to get between Mrs. Ragg and the kitchen door,
lest upon some sudden impulse she should rise and flee. Then he folded
his arms, and looked at her calmly, and with such a devilish smile as
might have become Mephistopheles himself, while contemplating the ruin
of a soul. He took from his pocket a razor.
"Mercy," gasped Mrs. Ragg.
"Where is Tobias?"
"Up stairs. Back room, second floor, looking into the garden."
"Alone?"
"No, Minna Grey is with him."
"Listen to me. If you stir from here until I come to you again, I will
not only murder you, but Tobias likewise, and every one whom I meet with
in this house. You know me, and can come to some opinion as to whether
or not I am a man likely to keep my word. Remain where you are; move
not, speak not, and all will be well."
Mrs. Ragg slowly slid off her chair, and fell to the floor of the
kitchen, where she lay, in what seemed a swoon.
"That will do as well," said Todd as he glanced at her, "and yet as I
return." He made a movement with his hand across his throat to indicate
what he would do, and then feeling assured that he had little or,
indeed, no opposition to expect in the house, he left the kitchen, and
walked up stairs.
When he reached the top of the kitchen stairs he paused to listen. All
was very still in the house.
"'Tis well," he said "tis well. This deed of blood shall be done, and
long before it can be thought that it was I who struck the blow, I shall
be gone."
Alas! After passing through so much! After being persued in so almost a
miraculous manner from the murderous intentions of Todd, backed by the
cupidity of Fogg, and his subordinate Watson, was poor Tobias yet to die
a terrible death as a victim to the cruel passions of his relentless
persecutor? No, we will not yet believe that such is to be the fate of
poor honest Tobias, although at the present time, his prospects look
gloomy. Todd may, and no doubt has taken as worthy lives, but we will
hope that the hand of Providence will prevent him from taking this one.
He reached the landing of the first floor, and he paused to listen
again. He thought this time, that he heard the faint sound of voices
above, but he was not quite sure. Otherwise all was quiet. This was a
critical situation for Todd. If any one, who was a painter of pictures
or of morals had but seen him, Sweeney Todd, as he there stood, they
would no longer have doubted either that there was a devil, or that some
persons in this world, were actuated by a devilish fiend. He looked the
incarnate fiend!--the Mephistopheles of the imagination, such as he is
painted by the German enthusiast. His laugh too? Was not that satanic?
He set himself to listen to the voices that he heard in that quiet rooms
and the sounds, holy and full of affection as they were, awakened no
chord of answering feeling, in that bold, bad man's breast. He stood
apart from human nature, a solitary being. A wreck upon the ocean of
society
"None loving, and by none beloved."
Who would be Sweeney Todd, for all the wealth, real or fabled, of a
million Californias?
"He is here," he said, "I know his voice. Tobias is here. Ah! he
mentions the name of God. Ha! He is more fitting to go to that heaven he
can talk of so glibly, but there is none. There is none! No, no! all
that is a fable."
Of course Todd could not believe in a divinity of goodness and mercy. If
he had, what on earth could have saved him from absolute madness?
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
TOBIAS IN JEOPARDY.
"And so you do love me, Minna?" said Tobias.
How his voice shook like a reed swayed by the wind, and yet what a world
of melody was in it.
"Can you ask me to say yes?" was the reply of the fair young creature by
his side. "Can you ask me to say yes, Tobias?"
"It seems to me," said Tobias, "as though it would be such a joy to hear
you say so, Minna, and yet I will not ask you."
"How well you have got, Tobias. Your cheek has got its old colour back
again. The colour it had long before you knew there was such a man as
Sweeney Todd in the world. Your eyes are bright too, and your voice has
its old pleasant sound."
"Used it to be pleasant to you, Minna?"