said I, "but the brandy and water is hot; however, it's going down very fast now - very fast indeed, here is the last mouthful"; and as I said so, I gulped it down, returned with the one glass, and then paid for the damage.
'This did not occupy five minutes, and away we came along the road at a devil of a pace, and we were all right enough; my friend behind me got over his scald, though he had a very sore gullet, and his intestines were in a very uncomfortable state; but he was better.
'Away we rattled, the ground rattling to the horse's hoofs and the wheels of the vehicle, the young girl still remaining in the same state of insensibility in which she had first been brought out.
'No doubt she had taken a stronger dose of the opium than she was willing to admit. That was nothing to me, but made it all the better, because she gave the less trouble, and made it safer.
'We got here easy enough, drove slap up to the door, which was opened in an instant, jumped out, took the girl, and carried her in.
'When once these doors are shut upon anyone, they may rest assured that it is quite a settled thing, and they don't get out very easy, save in a wooden surtout; indeed, I never lost a boarder by any other means; we always keep one connection, and they are usually so well satisfied, that they never take anyone away from us.
'Well, well! I carried her indoors, and left her in a room by herself on a bed. She was a nice girl - a handsome girl, I suppose people would call her, and had a low, sweet and plaintive voice. But enough of this!
'"She's all right," said I, when I returned to this room. "It's all right - I have left her."
'"She isn't dead?" he enquired, with much terror.
'"Oh! no, no! she is only asleep, and has not woke up yet from the effects of the laudanum. Will you now give me one year's pay in advance?"
"Yes," he replied, as he handed the money, and the remainder of the bonds. "Now, how am I to do about getting back to London tonight?"
'"You had better remain here."
'"Oh, no! I should go mad too, if I were to remain here; I must leave here soon.
'"Well, will you go to the village inn?"
'"How far is that off?"
'"About a mile - you'll reach it easy enough; I'll drive you over for the matter of that, and leave you there. I shall take the cart there."
"Very well, let it be so; I will go. Well, well, I am glad it is all over, and the sooner it is over for ever, the better. I am truly sorry for her, but it cannot be helped. It will kill her, I have no doubt; but that is all the better; she will escape the misery consequent upon her departure, and release us from a weight of care."
'"So it will," said I, "but come, we must go at once, if going you are.
"Yes, yes," he said hurriedly.
'"Well, then, come along; the horse is not yet unharnessed, and if we do not make haste, we shall be too late to obtain a lodging for the night."
'"That is very good," he said, somewhat wildly; "I am quite ready - quite."
'We left the house, and trotted off to the inn at a good rate, where we arrived in about ten minutes or less, and then I put up the horse, and saw him in the inn, and came back as quick as I could on foot. "Well, well," I thought, "this will do, I have had a good day of it - paid well for business, and haven't wanted for sport on the road."
'Well, I came to the conclusion that if the whole affair was to speedily end, it would be more in my pocket than if she were living, and she would be far happier in heaven than here, Mr Todd.'
'Undoubtedly,' said Mr Sweeney Todd, 'undoubtedly that is a very just observation of yours.'
'Well, then I set to work to find out how the matter could be managed, and I watched her until she awoke. She looked around her, and seemed much surprised, and confused, and did not seem to understand her position, while I remained near at hand.
'She sighed deeply, and put her hand to her head, and appeared for a time quite unable to comprehend what had happened to her, or where she was.
'I sent some tea to her, as I was not prepared to execute my purpose, and she seemed to recover, and asked some questions, but my man was dumb for the occasion, and would not speak, and the result was, she was very much frightened. I left her so for a week or two, and then, one day, I went into her cell. She had greatly altered in appearance, and looked very pale.
'"Well," said I, "how do you find yourself now?"
'She looked up into my face, and shuddered; but she said in a calm voice, looking round her, "Where am I?"
'"You are here!" said I, "and you'll be very comfortable if you only take on kindly, but you will have a straight waistcoat put on you if you do not."
'"Good God!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands, "have they put me here - in - in -"
'She could not finish the sentence, and I supplied the word which she did not utter, until I had done so, and then she screamed loudly, "A mad house!"
"Come," said I, "this will never do; you must learn to be quiet, or you'll have fearful consequences."
'"Oh, mercy, mercy! I will do no wrong! What have I done that I should be brought here - what have I done? They may have all I have if they will let me live in freedom. I care not where or how poor I may be. Oh! Henry, Henry! - if you knew where I was, would you not fly to my rescue? Yes, you would, you would!"
'"Ah," said I, "there is no Henry here, and you must be content to do without one."
'"I could not have believed that my brother would have acted such a base part. I did not think him wicked; although I knew him to be selfish, mean and stern, yet I did not think he intended such wickedness; but he thinks to rob me of all my property - yes, that is the object he has in sending me here."
'"No doubt," said I.
'"Shall I ever get out?" she enquired in a pitiful tone; "do not say my life is to be spent here."
'"Indeed it is," said I; "while he lives, you'll never leave these walls."
'"He shall not attain his end, for I have deeds about me that he will never be able to obtain; indeed he may kill me, but he cannot benefit by my death."
'"Well," said I, "it serves him right. And how did you manage that matter - how did you contrive to get the deeds away?"
'"Never mind that; it is a small deed, and I have secured it. I did not think he would have done this thing, but he may yet relent. Will you aid me? I shall be rich, and can pay you well."
'"But your brother?" said I.
'"Oh, he is rich without mine, but he is over-avaricious; but say you will help me - only help me to get out, and you shall be no loser by the affair."
'"Very well," said I. "Will you give me this deed as a security that you will keep your word?"
'"Yes," she replied, drawing forth the deed - a small parchment -from her bosom. "Take it, and now let me out; you shall be handsomely rewarded."
