It is a look which,
despite his mask, glances full from his eyes, and then grasping the
hammer tightly, in both hands, he raises it slowly above his head, and
gives it a swinging motion through the air. There is no knowing what
induced the man that was crouching on the stool to rise at that moment;
but he did so, and paced about with great quickness. A sudden shriek
burst from his lips, as he beheld so terrific an apparition before him;
but, before he could repeat the word, the hammer descended, crushing
into his skull, and he fell lifeless, without a moan. *       *       *       *       *

"And so, Mr. Jarvis Williams, you have kept your word," said Mrs. Lovett
to the emaciated, care-worn stranger, who had solicited employment of
her, "and so, Jarvis Williams, you have kept your word, and come for
employment?" "I have, madam, and hope that you can give it to me: I frankly tell you
that I would seek for something better, and more congenial to my
disposition, if I could; but who would employ one presenting such a
wretched appearance as I do? You see that I am all in rags, and I have
told you that I have been half starved, and therefore it is only some
common and ordinary employment that I can hope to get, and that made me
come to you." "Well, I don't see why we should not make a trial of you, at all events,
so if you like to go down into the bakehouse, I will follow you, and
show you what you have to do. You remember that you have to live
entirely upon the pies, unless you like to purchase for yourself
anything else, which you may do if you can get the money. We give none,
and you must likewise agree never to leave the bakehouse." "Never to leave it?" "Never, unless you leave it for good, and for all; if upon those
conditions you choose to accept the situation, you may, and if not, you
can go about your business at once, and leave it alone." "Alas, madam, I have no resource; but you spoke of having a man
already." "Yes; but he has gone to his friends; he has gone to some of his very
oldest friends, who will be quite glad to see him, so now say the
word:--are you willing or are you not, to take the situation?" "My poverty and my destitution consent, if my will be averse, Mrs.
Lovett; but, of course, I quite understand that I leave when I please." "Oh, of course, we never think of keeping anybody many hours after they
begin to feel uncomfortable. If you be ready, follow me." "I am quite ready, and thankful for a shelter. All the brightest visions
of my early life have long since faded away, and it matters little or
indeed nothing what now becomes of me; I will follow you, madam, freely,
upon the conditions you have mentioned." Mrs. Lovett lifted up a portion of the counter which permitted him to
pass behind it, and then he followed her into a small room, which was at
the back of the shop. She then took a key from her pocket, and opened an
old door which was in the wainscoting, and immediately behind which was
a flight of stairs. These she descended, and Jarvis Williams followed
her, to a considerable depth, after which she took an iron bar from
behind another door, and flung it open, showing her new assistant the
interior of that vault which we have already very briefly described. "These," she said, "are the ovens, and I will proceed to show you how
you can manufacture the pies, feed the furnaces, and make yourself
generally useful. Flour will be always let down through a trap-door from
the upper shop, as well as everything required for making the pies but
the meat, and that you will always find ranged upon shelves either in
lumps or steaks, in a small room through this door, but it is only at
particular times you will find the door open; and whenever you do so,
you had better always take out what meat you think you will require for
the next batch." "I understand all that, madam," said Williams, "but how does it get
there?" "That's no business of yours; so long as you are supplied with it, that
is sufficient for you; and now I will go through the process of making
one pie, so that you may know how to proceed, and you will find with
what amazing quickness they can be manufactured if you set about them in
the proper manner." She then showed him how a piece of meat thrown into a machine became
finely minced up, by merely turning a handle; and then how flour and
water and lard were mixed up together, to make the crust of the pies, by
another machine, which threw out the paste thus manufactured in small
pieces, each just large enough for a pie. Lastly, she showed him how a
tray, which just held a hundred, could be filled, and, by turning a
windlass, sent up to the shop, through a square trap-door, which went
right up to the very counter. "And now," she said, "I must leave you. As long as you are industrious
you will go on very well, but as soon as you begin to be idle, and
neglect the orders which are sent to you by me, you will get a piece of
information which will be useful, and which if you be a prudent man will
enable you to know what you are about." "What is that? you may as well give it to me now." "No; we seldom find there is occasion for it at first, but, after a
time, when you get well fed, you are pretty sure to want it." So saying she left the place, and he heard the door by which he had
entered, carefully barred after her. Suddenly then he heard her voice
again, and so clearly and distinctly, too, that he thought she must have
come back again; but upon looking up at the door, he found that that
arose from her speaking through a small grating at the upper part of it,
to which her mouth was closely placed. "Remember your duty," she said, "and I warn you, that any attempt to
leave here will be as futile as it will be dangerous." "Except with your consent, when I relinquish the situation." "Oh, certainly--certainly, you are quite right there, everybody who
relinquishes the situation goes to his old friends, whom he has not seen
for many years, perhaps." "What a strange manner of talking she has!" said Jarvis Williams to
himself, when he found he was alone. "There seems to be some singular
and hidden meaning in every word she utters. What can she mean by a
communication being made to me, if I neglect my duty! It is very
strange; and what a singular looking place this is! I think it would be
quite unbearable if it were not for the delightful odour of the pies,
and they are indeed delicious--perhaps more delicious to me, who has
been famished so long, and have gone through so much wretchedness; there
is no one here but myself, and I am hungry now--frightfully hungry, and
whether the pies be done or not, I'll have half a dozen of them at any
rate, so here goes." He opened one of the ovens, and the fragrant steam that came out was
perfectly delicious, and he sniffed it up with a satisfaction such as he
had never felt before, as regards anything that was eatable. "Is it possible," he said "that I shall be able to make such delicious
pies?