A racking pain in her head, compelled her to rest it upon her hands. "If I thought," she said, "that I should get very ill--if I thought that
there was any chance that I should die, I would go at once to the police
office and denounce him. But no--'tis only a passing pang, and I shall
soon be better--shall soon be myself again." She did not speak now for some few moments, and during that time she
rocked to and fro, for the pain in her head was excessive. It did not
last, however, but gradually went off, leaving only a sensation of
dulness behind it, with some amount of confusion. Then Mrs. Lovett, as well as she was able, set about thinking calmly and
dispassionately, as she hoped, about the best means of satisfying her
revenge against Todd. That that revenge should be complete and ample,
she was resolved. Gradually she began to work out a plan of operations, and as she did so,
her eyes brightened, and something of her old expression of bold
confidence came back to her. She rose and paced the shop. "Yes, the villain shall die," she said, "by the hands of the
executioner--I swear it! And he shall know, too, that it is I who have
doomed him to such a death. He shall feel that, had he kept faith with
we all would have been well; but now he shall hang--hang!--and I shall
look on and see his torments!" CHAPTER CIX. JOHANNA HAS PLENTY OF COMPANY AT TODD'S. We return to Johanna, whom for a few hours, owing to the pressure of
other circumstances, we have been compelled, with all manner of
reluctance, to neglect. Recent events, although they had by no manner of means tended to
decrease the just confidence which Johanna had in her own safety, had
yet much agitated her; and she at times feared that she should not be
able to carry on the farce of composure before Todd much longer. "Charley, my dear boy," said Todd, "you are a very good lad, indeed, and
I like you." "I am very glad to hear you say so, sir--very glad." "That is right; but when I say I like any one, I do not confine myself
to that mere expression of liking, and there an end. Of course, as a
religious man, I love my enemies, and feel myself bound to do so--eh,
Charley?" "Of course, sir." Poor Johanna had no resource but to seem to be deceived by this most
disgusting hypocrisy. "But although," continued Todd, waving a razor in the air; "although I
may love my enemies, I need not to go out of my way, you know, Charley,
to do good things to them as I would to my friends; but you I will do
all I can for; and as it may very materially help you to get an honest
independence in the course of a little time, I will manage to
accommodate you with sleeping here to-night and all nights henceforth." "How kind of you, sir!" "I am glad you appreciate it, Charley; and I feel quite sure that your
slumber will be most profound." Todd, upon this, made one of his diabolical faces, and then, taking his
hat, he marched out, merely adding as he crossed the threshold of the
door--

"I shall not be long gone, Charley." The day was on the decline, and a strong impression came over Johanna's
mind that something in particular would happen before it wholly passed
away into darkness. She almost trembled to think what that something
could be, and that she might be compelled to be a witness to violence,
from which her gentle spirit revolted; and had it not been that she had
determined nothing should stop her from investigating the fate of poor
Mark Ingestrie, she could even then have rushed into the street in
despair. But as the soft daylight deepened into the dim shadows of evening, she
grew more composed, and was better able, with a calmer spirit, to wait
the progress of events. "I am alone once more," said Johanna, "in this dreadful place. Again he
leaves me with all my dark and terrible thoughts of the fate of him whom
I have so fondly loved thronging around my heart; and this night, no
doubt, he thinks to kill me! Oh, Mark Ingestrie! if I were only but
quite sure that you had gone to that world from whence there is no
return, I think I could, with scarce a sigh, let this dreadful man send
me after you!" Johanna rested her head upon her hands, and wept bitterly. Suddenly a voice close to her said--

"St. Dunstan." She sprang from the little low seat upon which she was, and, with a cry
of alarm, was about to make a rush from the shop, when the intruder
caught her by the arm, saying--

"Don't you know me, Johanna?" "Ah, Sir Richard! my dear friend, it is, indeed, you, and I am safe
again--I am safe!" "Certainly you are safe; and permit me to say that you have all along
been tolerably safe, Johanna. But how very incautious you are. Here I
have come into the shop, and actually stood by you for some few moments,
you knowing nothing of it! What now if Todd had so come in?" "He would have killed me." "He might have done so. But now all danger is quite over, for you will
have protectors at your hand. Do you know where Todd has gone?" "I do not." "Well, it don't matter. Let me look at this largest cupboard. I wonder
if it will hold two of my men? Let me see. Oh, yes, easily and
comfortably. I will be back in a moment." He went no further than the door, and when he came back, he brought with
him Mr. Crotchet and another person, and pointing to the cupboard, he
said--

"You will stow yourselves there, if you please, and keep quiet until I
call upon you to come out." "I believe you," said Crotchet. "Lord bless you, we shall be snug
enough. How is you, Miss O.? I suppose by this time you feels quite at
home in your breech--"

"Silence!" said Sir Richard. "Go to your duty at once, Crotchet. Miss
Oakley is in no humour to attend to you just now." Upon this, Mr. Crotchet and the other man got into the cupboard, and a
chair was placed against it; and then Sir Richard said to Johanna--

"I will come in to be shaved when I know that Todd is here, and your
trials will soon be over." "To be shaved?--By him?" "Yes. But believe me there is no danger. Any one may come here now to be
shaved with perfect safety. I have made such arrangements that Todd
cannot take another life." "Thank Heaven!" "Here is a letter from your friend, Miss Wilmot, which I promised her I
would deliver to you. Be careful how you let Todd see it. Read it at
once, and then you had better destroy it at once. I must go now; but, of
course, if you should be in any danger, call upon my men in the cupboard
to assist you, and they will do so at once, although it may spoil my
plot a little." "Oh! how much I owe you." "Nay, nay, no more upon that head. Farewell now, for a brief space. We
shall very soon meet again. Keep a fair and agreeable face to Todd, if
you can, for I do not wish, if it can possibly be helped, anything to
mar the plot I have got up for his absolute conviction upon abundant
testimony." Sir Richard shook hands with Johanna, and then hastily left the shop,
for he did not wish just then to be found there by Todd, who might
return at any moment.