It was just one of the notions that, for its practical
extravagance, rather pleased him than otherwise, but although it had
something to recommend it, it required rather more boldness than even he
was master of to carry it out. But such thoughts sufficed to amuse him until darkness was upon the face
of the land, and to withdraw his thoughts from other and more tormenting
matters; so that for a time he even forgot the seemingly supernatural
laugh that had sounded so oddly behind him, and produced in him such a
world of alarm. He heard the clock of Hampstead Church proclaim the hour of nine, and
then he thought that he might venture from his place of concealment; and
yet it will be seen that Todd had not been able to concoct any definite
plan of operations. Then he was wishing to do many things, and yet
unable in that anxious state of his fortunes to do anything at all. Truly, Sir Richard Blunt was right enough, when he said that Todd, for a
time, would be much too busy with his own affairs to take any active
step for the accomplishment of any of his revenges. In the wood, now, the darkness was so great, that literally you could
not see your hand before your face; and the only plan by which he could
leave it was by blundering right on, and trusting to get out at any
point to which his chance steps might lead him. In about a quarter of an
hour he came to a rather precipitous bank, which he clambered up, and
then he found himself on the outskirts of the wood, and not far from the
village. He heard some one coming along the road-way, and whistling as he came. The moon was struggling against the shadowing influence of a mass of
clouds in the horizon, and Todd felt that in a little time the whole
place would be light enough. "Am I sufficiently unlike myself," he said, "to trust an appearance in
the village? I want food, and most of all, I want drink. Yes, now more
than ever; I cannot pretend to live without stimulants. Yes, I will risk
it, and then I will go to London." He sprang down into the road, and in as careless a manner as he could,
he walked on in the direction that he thought would take him to the
village. The man who was whistling as he came along, rather increased his pace,
and to the great alarm of Todd, overtook him, and said--

"A fine night, sir, we shall have? The moon is getting up nicely now,
sir!" Todd breathed a little more freely. After all, it was not an enemy, but
only one of those people so common in places a little way out of town,
who are talkative to any one they may meet, for the mere love of
talking. For once in his life, Todd determined upon being wonderfully
gracious, and he replied quite in a tone of serenity--

"Yes, it is a nice night; and, as you say, the moon is rising
beautifully." "Yes, sir," added the man, who was carrying something that Todd could
not, for the life of him, make out. "Yes, sir, and I am not sorry to get
home, now. I have been all round by Hendon, Golders Green, and Finchley,
sticking bills." "Bills?" "Yes, sir, about the murderer Todd, you know!" "Oh, ah!" "You know, sir, he has got out of Newgate, and there's five hundred
pounds reward offered by the _guvment_ for him. A nice little set up
that would be, sir, for any one, wouldn't it, sir?" "Very." "All the bill-stickers round London have had a job in putting up the
bills, and they say that if it costs a million of money they intend to
have him." "And very proper too," said Todd. "Can you spare a bill, my friend?" "Oh, yes. There's hand ones as well as posters. Here's one, sir, and
you'll find a description of him. Oh, don't I only wish I could come
across him, that's all; I'd make rather a tidy day's work then, I think. That would be a little better, sir, than the paste-pot, wouldn't it?" "Rather," said Todd; "but he might be rather a dear bargain; for such a
man, I should think, would not be very easily taken!" "There's something in that, sir, as you say, but yet I would have a try. Five hundred pounds, you know, sir, is not to be picked up everyday on
the road-side." "Certainly not! Is that Hampstead where the lights are, to the left,
there?" "Yes, right on. I live at west-end, and my way lays this way. Good
night, sir!" "Good night," said Todd. "I hope you may have the luck of meeting with
this Todd, and so earning the five hundred pounds you mention; but I am
afraid, after all, there is not much chance, for I heard he had gone
down to the coast, and had got on board a vessel and was off by this
time. That may not be true, though. Goodnight!" CHAPTER CXLIII. TODD TAKES A LOOK AT HIS OLD QUARTERS IN FLEET STREET. The village of Hampstead was, at the time of which we write, really a
village. It still retains many of its old houses and picturesque
beauties, but it is not quite such a little retired spot as it was. If
ever any one walked through Hampstead, however, who was less inclined
than another to pause and speculate upon its beauties, certainly that
man was our doubtful acquaintance, Sweeney Todd. He did not think it quite prudent to stop in the High Street to solace
himself with any worldly comforts, although he saw several public-houses
very temptingly open, but passing right on, he descended Red Lion Hill,
and paused at a little inn at the foot of it, that is to say, on the
London side of the pretty village. Brandy was Todd's request, and he was met by a prompt, "Yes, sir;" but
Todd had, among his varied experiences, to find out what Hampstead
brandy was, and the moment he placed a portion of it in his mouth, his
eyes goggled furiously, and spitting it out, he said, in a voice of
anger--

"This is some mistake." "Mistake, sir?" "Yes; I asked for brandy, and you have given me the rinsings of some
bottles and dirty glasses." "Oh, dear no, sir; that brandy is the very best that you will get in all
Hampstead." "The best in all Hampstead!" repeated Todd, with a groan; "what must the
worst be, I wonder?" "I assure you, sir, it is considered to be very good." "Considered?" said Todd. "Then, my friend, there's your money, and as
the brandy is considered to be so good, you can drink it; but having
some respect, from old companionship, for my inside, I decline it. Good
evening." With these words, Todd laid a shilling upon the bar, and strode away. "Well," said the publican, "how singular! that's the eighth person who
has refused that one quartern of brandy and paid for it. Here, wife, put
this back into the bottle again, and shake it up well." Todd pursued his route down Haverstock Hill, until he came to the then
straggling district of Camden Town, and there he did find a house at
which he got just a tolerable glass of brandy, and feeling very much
invigorated by the drop, he walked on more rapidly still; and a thought
took possession of him, which, although it was perhaps not unattended
with danger, might turn out to be a very felicitous one.