Now, for example--Charley, my dear, whip up that
lather--there's the church of St. Dunstan's, which, although I say
it--Now, Charley, look sharp--is one of the greatest of London
curiosities. The figures at the clock I allude to more particularly. I
think you said the whiskers were to be left just as they are, sir?" "Yes." "Well then, gentlemen, if you have never seen the figures in the front
of old St. Dunstan's strike the chimes, it's one of those things that
it's quite a pity to leave London without watching narrowly. They may
talk of the Tower, sir, or of the wild beasts at Exeter Change; but give
me for a sight where there is real ingenuity, the figures striking the
chimes at old St. Dunstan's." "Indeed?" "Yes. Let me see. Ah, it's just a half hour nearly now, and your friend
can go, although you are being shaved, and then by the time you are
comfortably finished off, the next quarter will be getting on. Charley?" "Yes, sir." "Put on your cap, and go with that gentleman to St. Dunstan's. You must
cross over the way, and then you will soon see the old church and the
two figures, as large as life, and five times as natural." Johanna took up the cap she had worn in her disguise, and stood by the
door. "Why don't you go, Bill?" said the grazier who was being shaved. "Why, the fact is," said the other, "I would not give a pin's head to
see it without you. Do you know, Mr. Barber, he makes such comical
remarks at anything, that it's worth one half the fun to hear him? Oh,
no, I can't go without him." "Very good," said Todd, "then I'll finish him off, and you shall both go
together in a few moments, though I am afraid you will miss this time of
the chimes striking." There was now a silence of a few moments' duration in the shop; but
nothing in the shape of rage or disappointment was visible in the manner
of Todd, although both of those passions were struggling at his heart. "Now, sir," he said at length, and with a whisk he took the cloth from
under the grazier's chair. "That will do; I thank you, sir. Towel and
plenty of water in that corner, sir." "Thank you." "No, I shall do," said the other grazier, in reply to a mute imitation
from Todd to sit down in the shaving chair, "I shall do pretty well, I
thank you, till to-morrow." "Very good, sir. Hope I shall have the pleasure of your patronage
another time, as well as your recommendation, gentlemen." "You may depend," said the grazier, who had been shaved, "that we shall
do all we can for you, and shall not lose sight of you." Todd bowed like a Frenchman, and the graziers left the shop. No sooner
was the door closed upon them, than his countenance altered, as if by
magic, and the most wofully diabolical expression came over it, as with
eyes flashing with rage, he cried--

"Curses on you both! But I will have one of you, yet. May the bitterest
curse of--but, no matter, I--"

"What, sir?" said Johanna. "What do you say, sir?" "Hell's fury! what is that to you? Do dare you, you devil's cub, to ask
me what I said? By all that's furious, I'll tear out your teeth with
red-hot pincers, and scoop your eyes from their gory sockets with an old
oyster knife. D--n you, I'll--I'll flay you!" Johanna shrank back aghast. The pure spirit of the young girl, that had
been used to little else but words of love and kindness, started at the
furious and brutal abuse that was launched at it by Todd. "Did I not tell you," he continued, "that I would have no prying--no
peeping--no remarking about this or the other? I'll crush the life out
of you, as I would that from a mad dog!" A strange howling cry at the door at this moment came upon the ears of
Todd. His countenance changed, and his lips moved as though he was still
saying something, but he had not power to give it audibly. At length,
somewhat mastering his emotion, he said--

"What--what's that?" "A dog, sir." "A dog! Confound all dogs." Another howl, and a violent scratching at the door, was farther and most
conclusive evidence of the canine character of the visitor. "Charley," said Todd, in quite a soft tone--"Charley." "Yes, sir." "Take the poor dog something to eat--or--or to drink, rather I should
say. You will find a saucer in yon cupboard, with some milk in it. If--if he only, bless him, takes one lick at it, I shall be satisfied. You know, Charley, God made all things, and we should be good to his
creatures." "Yes, sir," said Johanna, with a shudder. She went to the cupboard, and found the saucer, in which there seemed to
be a drop of fresh milk. She walked to the door, while Todd, as though
he did not feel by any means sure of the pacific intentions of the dog,
at once rushed into his back parlour, and locked himself in. Todd had a
peep-hole from the back parlour into the shop, but he could not see
further than the shop door. Moreover, Johanna's back was towards him, so
he could only guess at what was going on if the dog did not actually
come across the threshold. That the milk which Todd was so solicitous
should be given to the dog was poisoned, occurred to Johanna in a
moment; and just before opening the door, she threw it into a corner,
upon some loose shavings, and odds and ends of waste paper, that were
there. Johanna then opened the door. In an instant Hector, the large dog
of the unfortunate Thornhill, whose identity with Mark Ingestrie
appeared to be so established in the mind of Johanna, sprang upon her
with an angry growl. It was only for one brief moment, however, that
Hector made any such mistake as fancying Johanna to be Sweeney Todd; and
then he, with an affectionate whine, licked the hands of the young girl. "Pison! Pison!" cried a loud voice, and in another moment, the ostler,
from the coach-office opposite, rushed to the door, and caught the dog
around the neck. "Ah, there ye is agin. Why, what a goose of a feller you is, to be sure,
Pison. Don't you know, now, as well as I do, that that barber will do
you a mischief yet, you great blockhead you? Come home, will yer? Come
home, now. Come along wi' yer!" "Yes--yes," said Johanna. "Take him away--take him away." "Won't I, that's all. I suppose you are a young shaver? Only let me
catch you a-interfering with Pison, that's all, and won't I let you know
what's what, young feller." The ostler having uttered this most uncalled-for threat to poor Johanna,
took Pison in triumph over the way. Johanna closed the door. "Is he gone?" said Todd. "Yes, sir." "And the milk? Is that gone, likewise?" "Every drop of it." "Ha! ha! ha! Well--well. Only to think, now. Ha! ha! I hope that milk
won't disagree with the noble animal. How fond I am of him! How often he
has been over here, in his little pretty playful way, to try and bite
pieces out of my legs. Bless him. If now that milk should give him a
stomach ache, what a pity it would be. Did I hear a man's voice?" "Yes, sir; some man came and called the dog away."