By this means, each of them had half from the glass they had--as they
thought--so very cleverly drugged for him, to drink from; and as they
had not scrupled to put in an over dose, it may be fairly presumed that
there was in each of their glasses quite enough to make them very
uncomfortable. They both returned. "There's nobody there now," said one. "Are you sure you saw him, sir? We
can't see any one." "Didn't I tell you he was going away when I saw him? It was only the
latch of the door catching his top-coat that made me see his red
waistcoat; and it was a wonder then that I saw it, for I am not very
noticeable in those things. Oh, dear, how bad my cough is." "Take some of your brandy-and-water, sir," said one of the thieves, as
he winked at the other. "It will do you good, sir." "Not a doubt of it," said the other. "Do you think so? Well--well, perhaps it may. Here's my friendship to
both of you, gentlemen; and I hope we shall none of us repent of this
happy meeting. I am much pleased, gentlemen, to see you both, and hope
the brandy-and-water will do us all a world of good. I will give you a
toast, gentlemen." "Ah, a toast!--a toast!" "But mind gentlemen, you must take a good draught, if you drink my
toast--Will you?" "Will we? Ay, to be sure, if you will." "I promise, gentlemen; so here's the toast--It's to the very cunning fox
who laid a trap for another, and caught his own tail in it!" "What a droll toast!" said the two thieves. They paused a moment, but as
they saw their new friend drink at least one-half of his
brandy-and-water in honour of the toast, they did the same thing, and
looked at each other quite contented and pleased as possible that the
drugged spirit, at the very first pull, had been so freely partaken
of--for they had found, by experience, the victims they would have made
perceived a disagreeable taste, and would not drink twice. "Hilloa!" said Todd. "What's the matter, old gentleman?" "Do you know, this is very good brandy-and-water?" "Glad you like it." "Like it?--I couldn't be off liking it. It's capital! Let's finish these
glasses, and have others at once." As he spoke he finished his glass, and the two thieves were so delighted
that he had taken it all, that they at once finished theirs likewise;
and then they looked at him, and then at each other, until one said to
the other, as he made a wry face--

"I say, Bill, I--I don't much like my glass. How did yours taste, eh,
old fellow?" "Very queer." "How strange," said Todd; "mine was beautiful! I hope, gentlemen, you
have not made a mistake and put anything out of the way in your own
glasses instead of mine?" "Oh, dear. Oh--oh! I am going, Bill." "And so am I. Oh, murder! My head is going round and round like a
humming-top as big as St. Paul's." "And so is mine." "Then, gentlemen," said Todd, rising, "I shall have the pleasure of
bidding you good day, and I hope you have just sense enough left to
appreciate the toast of the 'cunning fox that laid a trap for another,
in which he caught his own tail,' and I have the further pleasure of
informing you that I am Sweeney Todd." The two thieves, quite overcome by the powerful and death-dealing
narcotic they had placed in the liquor, fell to the floor in a state of
perfect insensibility, and Todd very calmly walked out of the
public-house. [Illustration: Todd Turns The Tables On The Two Sharpers, And Escapes.] "This will not do," he said, when he reached the west-end of Holywell
Street. "I must not run such risks as this. I must now be off. But where
to? That is the question. Out of London, of course. The river, I
think--ay, the river. That will be the best. I will house myself until
night, and then I will hire a boat and go to Gravesend. From there I
shall not find much difficulty in getting on board some foreign vessel,
and with what I have in my pockets I will bid adieu to England for a
little while, until I can sell my watches and jewels, and then I will
come back and have my revenge yet upon those whom I only live now to
destroy." Full of these thoughts, Todd went down one of the narrow streets leading
to the Thames, and as he saw a bill in a window of lodgings to let, he
thought he should be safer there than in a house of public
entertainment. He resolved upon taking a lodging for a week at any cost,
and then leaving it in the evening after he should have had some rest at
it, which he might do for the remainder of the day, provided the people
would take him in, which he had very little doubt of them doing, as he
did not intend to object to their terms, and he did intend to pay in
advance. Todd knocked at the door. It was answered by a woman of the true landlady species, who, upon
hearing that it was the lodging Todd was after, was all smiles and
sweetness immediately. "I have come up from the country, madam," said Todd, "and my luggage is
at an inn in Gracechurch Street. I intend to send for it in the morning;
and as I am weary, if you can accommodate me with a lodging, as I have
some business to transact for my son, the Deacon, in London, I shall be
much obliged." "Oh, dear, yes sir; walk in. We have every accommodation. The
drawing-room floor, sir, at three guineas and a few extras." "That will just do," said Todd. "Will you be so good as to show me the
rooms, madam?" Todd saw the rooms, and of course admired them very much; and then he
said, in the blandest manner--

"I think the rooms very cheap, madam, and will take them at once, if you
please. The reference I will give you, is to the Principal of Magdalen
College, Oxford, the Reverend Peter Sly, madam. My own name is Bones,
and my son is the Reverend Archdeacon Bones. I will pay you now a week
in advance; and all I have to beg of you is, that you do yourself
justice as to charges. I will lie down and rest for a few hours, if you
please, madam." "Oh, dear, sir! yes, certainly, Mr. Bones. There shall be no noise to
disturb you, and anything you want, if you will be so good as to ring
for, I will supply you with the greatest pleasure." "Thank you, madam." Thus then was it that Todd secured himself what appeared to be a
wonderfully safe asylum until night. He got into the bed with all his
clothes on; for he did not know how sudden the emergency might be that
might induce him to rise; and he soon fell into a deep sleep, for he had
undergone the greatest fatigues of late. CHAPTER CLVI. SIR RICHARD BLUNT IS VERY NEAR TAKING HIS PRISONER. We left the poor beadle in anything but a pleasant situation in the
pulpit of St. Dunstan's Church. Now it so happened that the beadle was particularly wanted at home; and
as he did not make his appearance, his wife repaired to the church to
search for him; but it was locked by Todd, who had swung the door shut
after him, and as he had taken the key with him, she could not make her
way into the sacred edifice.