But he had not
to wait long for an explanation of what it meant. A door at the back of
the room was flung open, and Johanna sprung forward with a cry of joy. In another moment she was in the arms of Mark Ingestrie, and Sir Richard
Blunt had left the room. [Illustration: The Meeting Of Mark And Johanna.] It would be quite impossible, if we had the will to attempt it, for us
to go through the scene that took place between Johanna Oakley and Mark
Ingestrie in the magistrate's parlour. For about half an hour they quite
forgot where they were, or that there was any one in the world but
themselves. At the end of that period of time, though, Sir Richard Blunt
gently walked into the room. "Well," he said, "have you come to any understanding about that military
man in the Temple Gardens?" Johanna sprang towards the magistrate, and placing her arms upon his
breast, she kissed him on the cheek. "Sir," she said, "you are our very dear friend, and I love you as I love
my father." "God bless you!" said Sir Richard, "You have, by those few words, more
then repaid me for all that I have done. Are you happy?" "Very, very happy." "So very happy, sir," said Ingestrie, as his eyes glistened through
tears of joy, "that I can hardly believe in its reality." "And yet you are both so poor." "Ah, sir, what is poverty when we shall be together?" "We will face that foe, Mark, I think," said Johanna, with a smile, "and
he shall not extort a tear from us." "Well," said Sir Richard, as he opened his desk, "since you are not to
be knocked down by poverty, what say you to riches? Do you know these,
Mr. Ingestrie?" "Why, that is my String of Pearls." "Yes. I took this from Todd's escritoire myself, and they are yours and
Johanna's. Will you permit me always to call you Johanna?" "Oh, yes--yes. Do so. All who love me call me Johanna." "Very well. This String of Pearls, I have ascertained, is worth a
sufficient sum to place you both very far above all the primary
exigences of life. It will be necessary to produce them at the trial of
Sweeney Todd, but after that event they will be handed to you to do what
you please with them, when you can realise them at at once, and be happy
enough with the proceeds." "If my poor friend, Thornhill," sighed Mark Ingestrie, "could but have
lived to see this day!" "That, indeed, would have been a joy," said Johanna. "Yes," said the magistrate; "but the grave has closed on his poor
remains--at least, I may say so figuratively. He was one of Todd's
victims, one of his numerous victims; for I do believe that, for a long
time, scarcely a week passed that did not witness some three or four
murders in that man's shop." "Horrible!" "You may well use that expression, in speaking of the career of Sweeney
Todd. It has been most horrible; but there cannot be a doubt of his
expiating his crimes upon the scaffold, together with his partner in
guilt, Mrs. Lovett." Mark Ingestrie gave a shudder as that woman's name was mentioned, for it
put him in mind of the cellar where he had lived so long, and where it
was only by the most good fortune that he had not terminated his career. Before they could say any more, one of the officers in attendance upon
Sir Richard, announced Colonel Jeffery. "Ah, that is your dreadful military rival," said Sir Richard to
Ingestrie. "That is the gentleman whom you saw in the garden of the
Temple with Johanna." "I have much to thank him for. His conduct to Johanna has been most
noble." The colonel smiled when he saw Mark Ingestrie and Johanna, for he well
knew, from private information he had got from the magistrate, that Mark
Ingestrie and Mrs. Lovett's cook were identical; and holding out his
hand to the young man, he said--

"Accept of my best and sincerest wishes, Mr. Ingestrie." "And you, sir," said Mark, "accept of my best thanks. Our gratitude is
largely due to you, sir." "I am quite repaid by this very happy result; and I have the pleasure of
informing you, Sir Richard, that poor Tobias is very much better
indeed." "Which I am rejoiced to hear," said Sir Richard. "And now, my dear
Johanna, it is time for you to go home. You will hear from me in the
morning, for I intend to do myself the pleasure of calling upon your
father, and explaining all to him; for there are some circumstances that
he is yet in ignorance of, and particularly concerning Mr. Ingestrie." "I will walk with you to your door, Johanna," said Mark rising and
tottering. "No," said Sir Richard Blunt; "that must not be to-night. Do not let
him, Johanna. He is by far too weak and unwell to do anything of the
kind. A calm and long night's rest here will do him a world of good. Business prevents me from leaving the office; but I daresay the colonel
will see Johanna in safety." "With pleasure," said Colonel Jeffery, "if Mr. Ingestrie has no
objection to my doing so." "Sir," said Mark, "there is no one in all the world that I would more
cheerfully see protecting my Johanna. I feel that I am in too great a
state of exhaustion to go out. I leave her to your care, sir." "That is right," said Sir Richard Blunt. "Now, good-night, Johanna, and
God bless you. You will see me in the morning, recollect." Mark Ingestrie took a parting embrace of Johanna, and then she went off
with the colonel, who, on their road home, told her how he and Arabella
had got so far as to fix their wedding day, and how he should not feel
at all happy unless both she and Mark Ingestrie were at the ceremony. "Indeed, he hoped," he said, "that they might give the parson only one
trouble, by being married upon the same occasion." Johanna warded this last part of the colonel's speech; but she was
fervent in her hopes that he and Arabella would be so very happy, and in
her praises of her young friend; so in very pleasant discourse indeed,
they reached the old spectacle-maker's shop, and then the colonel shook
hands with Johanna, and bade her a kind and friendly adieu, and she was
let in by--to her immense surprise--her mother! Mrs. Oakley fell upon Johanna's neck in a passion of tears, crying--

"Come, my child--come to your mother's heart, and tell her that you
forgive her for much past neglect and unkindness." "Oh, mother," said Johanna, "do not speak so. There is nothing to
forgive; and if you are happy and we are all good friends, we will never
think of the past." "That's right, my dear," said Mr. Oakley, from the passage; "that's
right, my love. Come in, both of you." But it is necessary that we
should briefly state how it was that this wonderful change in the
behaviour of Mrs. Oakley came about, and for that purpose we must
retrace our steps a little. The reader will be so good as to recollect that the last time Mrs.
Oakley was introduced to his notice she was encumbered by Mr. Lupin, and
had the pleasure of introducing that gentleman to the notice of Big Ben
the beef-eater, who had quickly put all idea of escape out of the
question, as regarded that highly religious personage.