CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER I.
HARK!
twelve o'clock is proclaimed by old St. Dunstan's church, and
scarcely have the sounds done echoing throughout the neighbourhood,
and scarce has the clock of Lincoln's Inn done chiming in its
announcement of the same hour when Bell-yard, Temple Bar, becomes a
scene of commotion.What
a scampering of feet is there, what a laughing and talking, what a
jostling to be first; and what an immense number of manoeuvres are
resorted to by some of the strong to distance others!And
mostly from Lincoln's Inn come these persons, young and old, but most
certainly a majority of the former, although from neighbouring legal
establishments likewise there came not a few; the Temple contributes
its numbers, and from the more distant Gray's Inn came a goodly lot.Is
it a fire? is it a fight? or anything else sufficiently alarming or
extraordinary, to excite the junior members of the legal profession
to such a species of madness? No, it is none of these, nor is there a
fat cause to be run for, which in the hands of some clever
practitioner might become a vested interest. No, the enjoyment is
purely one of a physical character, and all the pacing and
racing--all this turmoil and trouble--all this pushing, jostling,
laughing, and shouting, is to see who will get first at Mrs. Lovett's
pie shop.Yes,
on the left hand side of Bell-yard, going down from Carey-street was,
at the time we write of, one of the most celebrated shops for the
sale of veal and pork pies that ever London produced. High and low,
rich and poor, resorted to it; its fame had spread far and wide; it
was because the first batch of these pies came up at twelve o'clock
that there was such a rush of the legal profession to obtain them.Their
fame had spread to great distances. Oh--those delicious pies! there
was about them a flavour never surpassed, and rarely equalled; the
paste was of the most delicate construction, and impregnated with the
aroma of a delicious gravy that defies description; the fat and the
lean so artistically mixed up.The
counter in Lovett's shop was in the shape of a horse shoe, and it was
the custom of the young bloods from the Temple and Lincoln's Inn to
sit in a row at its edge, while, they partook of the pies, and
chatted gaily about one thing and another.There
was a Mistress Lovett; but possibly our reader guessed as much, for
what but a female hand, and that female buxom, young, and
good-looking, could have ventured upon the production of those pies.
Yes, Mrs. Lovett was all that; and every enamoured young scion of the
law, as he devoured his pie, pleased himself with the idea that the
charming Miss Lovett had made that pie especially for him, and that
fate or predestination had placed it in his hands.And
it was astonishing to see with what impartiality and with what tact
the fair pastrycook bestowed her smiles upon her admirers, so that
none could say he was neglected, while it was extremely difficult for
any one to say he was preferred.This
was pleasant, but at the same time it was provoking to all except
Mrs. Lovett, in whose favour it got up a kind of excitement that paid
extraordinarily well, because some of the young fellows thought that
he who consumed the most pies, would be in the most likely, way to
receive the greatest number of smiles from the lady.Acting
upon this supposition, some of her more enthusiastic admirers, went
on consuming the pies until they were almost ready to burst. But
there were others again, of a more philosophic turn of mind, who went
for the pies only, and did not care one jot for Mrs. Lovett.These
declare that her smile was cold and uncomfortable--that it was upon
her lips, but had no place in her heart--that it was the set smile of
a ballet-dancer, which is about one of the most unmirthful things in
existence.Then
there were some who went even beyond this, and while they admitted
the excellence of the pies, and went every day to partake of them,
swore that Mrs. Lovett had quite a sinister aspect, and that they
could see what a merely superficial affair her blandishments were,
and that there was "A lurking devil in her eye," that, if
once roused, would be capable of achieving some serious things, and
might not be so easily quelled again.By
five minutes past twelve Mrs. Lovett's counter was full, and the
savoury steam of the hot pies went out in fragrant clouds into
Bellyard, being sniffed up by many a poor wretch passing by."Why,
Tobias Ragg," said a young man, with his mouth full of pie,
"where have you been since you left Mr. Show's in
Paper-buildings? I haven't seen you for some days.""No,"--said
Tobias, "I have gone into another line; instead of being a
lawyer and helping to shave the clients I am going to shave the
lawyers. A penny pork, if you please, Mrs. Lovett. Ah! who would go
without who could get pies like these?--eh, Master Clift?""Well,
they are good; of course we know that, Tobias. So you are going to be
a barber?""Yes,
I am with Sweeney Todd, the barber of Fleet-street, opposite St.
Dunstan's.""The
deuce you are! Well, I am going to a party tonight. I must be dressed
and shaved. I'll patronise your master." Tobias put his mouth
close to the ear of the young lawyer and whispered the one
word---"Don't." Tobias placed his fingers to his lips and
left, and was about to enter his master's shop when he thought he
heard from within a strange, shrieking sort of sound. On the impulse
of the moment he recoiled a step or two and then, from some other
impulse, he dashed forward at once, and entered the shop.The
first object that presented itself to his attention, lying upon a
side table, was a hat with a handsome gold-headed walking-cane lying
across it.The
arm-chair in which customers usually sat to be shaved was vacant, and
Sweeney Todd's face was just projected into the shop from the back
Parlour, and wearing a most singular and hideous expression."Well,
Tobias," he said as he advanced, rubbing his great hands
together, "well, Tobias! so you could not resist the pie-shop?""How
does he know?" thought Tobias. "Yes, sir, I have been to
the pie-shop, but I didn't stay a minute.""Hark
ye, Tobias! theonly thing I can excuse in the way of delay upon an
errand is for you to get one of Mrs. Lovett's pies; that I look over,
so think no more about it. Are they not delicious, Tobias?""Yes,
sir, they are; but some gentleman seems to have left his hat and
stick.""Yes,"
said Sweeney Todd, "he has;" and lifting the stick he
struck Tobias a blow with it that felled him to the ground. "Lesson
the second to Tobias Ragg, which teaches him to make no remarks about
what does not concern him. You may think what you like, Tobias Ragg,
but you shall say only what I like.""I
won't endure it," cried the boy; "I won't be knocked about
in this way, I tell you, Sweeney Todd, I won't.""You
won't? Have you forgotten your mother?""You
say you have power over my mother; but I don't know what it is, and I
cannot and will not believe it; I'll leave you, and come of it what
may, I'll go to sea or anywhere rather than stay in such a place as
this.""Oh,
you will, will you? Then, Tobias, you and I must come to some
explanation. I'll tell you what power I have over your mother, and
then perhaps you will be satisfied. Last winter, when the frost had
continued 18 weeks, and you and your mother were starving, she was
employed to clean out the chambers of a Mr. King, in the Temple, a
cold-hearted, severe man who never forgave anything in all his life,
and never will.""I
remember," said Tobias; "We were starving, and owed a whole
guinea for rent; but mother borrowed it and paid it, and after that
got a situation where she now is.""Ah,
you think so. The rent was paid; but, Tobias, my boy, a word in your
ear--she took a silver candlestick from Mr. King's chambers to pay
it. I know it. I can prove it. Think of that, Tobias, and be
discreet.""Have
mercy upon us," said the boy; "they would take her life!""Her
life!" screamed Sweeney Todd; "aye, to be sure they would;
they would hang her---hang her, I say; and now mind, if you force me
by any conduct of your own to mention this thing, you are your
mother's executioner. I had better go and be deputy hangman at once,
and turn her off.""Horrible,
horrible!""Oh,
you don't like that? Indeed, that don't suit, you. Be discreet then,
and you have nothing to fear. Do not force me to do that which will
be as complete as it is terrific.""I
will say nothing--I will think nothing.""'Tis
well! Now go and put that hat and stick in yonder cupboard. I shall
be absent for a short time; and if any one comes, tell them I am out
and shall not return for an hour or perhaps longer, and mind you take
care of the shop."