"Oh, yes. Only ask him, Mr. Todd. Only ask him." "Come here, my dear boy. Who was Shindrad, the great uncle of Joshua,
and why did Nebuchadnezar call him Zichophobattezer the cousin of
Neozobulcoxacride?" "Eh?" said the boy. "Lor!" "What learning!" said the greengrocer. "Ah, Mr. Todd, you are one too
many for Fred, but he knows his catechiz." "Well," said Todd, "if the boy that I have promised to think about don't
suit me, I'll give you a call, Mr. Cork. But, you see, I am such a slave
to my word, that if I promise to think about anything, I go on thinking
until it would astonish you how I get through it." "Well, I'm sure we are very much obliged to you, Mr. Todd. Come along,
Fred." "Indeed!" said Todd, when he was once more alone. "That would suit me
certainly. A lying, gossiping boy, to be running home three or four
times a day with all the news of the shop. Good--very good indeed." Todd stropped away at the razors with great vehemence, until he suddenly
became aware that some one must be blocking up nearly the whole of the
window, for a sudden darkness, like an eclipse, had stolen over the
shop. We have before had occasion to remark that Todd had a kind of
peephole amid the multifarious articles which blocked up his windows, so
that he was enabled to look out upon the passing world when he pleased. Upon this occasion he availed himself of this mode of ascertaining who
it was that had stopped the light from making its way into the shop. It
was no other than our old acquaintance, Big Ben from the Tower, who was
on his way to Mr. Oakley's. The heart of Ben had been sensibly touched
by the distress of Johanna, and he was going to give her a word or two
of comfort and encouragement, which would wholly consist of advising her
to "never mind." But still Ben's intention was good, however weak might
be the means by which he carried it out. As for passing Todd's window
without looking in, he could no more help having a good stare, than he
could help doing justice to a flagon of old ale, if it were placed
before him; and upon this occasion the little placard, announcing the
want of a pious youth, fixed the whole of Ben's wonder and attraction. "A pious lad!" said Ben. "Oh, the villain. Never mind. Easy does
it--easy does it." "Curses on that fellow!" muttered Todd. "What is he staring at?" "A pious lad!" ejaculated Ben. "Pious--oh--oh. Pious!" "Shaved this morning, sir?" said Todd, appearing at his door with a
razor in his hand. "Shaved or dressed? Polish you off surprisingly, in
no time, sir." "Eh?" "Walk in, sir--walk in. A nice comfortable shave makes a man feel quite
another thing. Pray walk in, sir. I think I have had the pleasure of
seeing you before." Ben cast an indignant look at Sweeney Todd; and then, as upon the spur
of the moment--for Ben was rather a shrewd thinker--he could not find
anything strong enough to say, he wisely held his peace, and walked on. Todd looked after him with a savage scowl. "Not much plunder," he muttered, "but suitable enough in another point
of view. Well--well, we shall see--we shall see." Ben continued his course towards the city, ever and anon repeating as he
went--"A pious lad!--a pious lad. Oh, the rascal." When he reached within a few doors of the spectacle-maker's, he saw a
boy with a letter in his hand looking about him, and probably seeing
that Ben had a good-humoured countenance, he said to him--

"If you please, sir, can you tell me which is Mr. Oakley's?" "Yes, to be sure. Is that letter for him?" "No, sir, it's for Miss Oakley." Ben laid his finger upon the side of his nose, and tried to think. "Miss Oakley," he said. "A letter for Miss Oakley;" and then, as nothing
very alarming consequent upon that proposition presented itself to him,
he said, "Easy does it." "Do you know the house, sir?" asked the boy. "Yes, to be sure. Come along, boy." "Yes, sir." "Who's the letter from?" "A gentleman, sir, as is waiting at the Unicorn, in Addle Street." "A gentleman as is waiting at the Addle in Unicorn Street," said Ben;
and then, not being able still to hit upon anything very outrageous in
all that, he contented himself once more with an "Easy does it." The boy accompanied him to the door of Mr. Oakley's, and then Ben said
to him--

"I'll give the letter to Miss Oakley if you like, and if you don't like,
you can wait till I send her to you. Easy does it." "Thank you, sir," said the boy, "I'd rather give it to the young lady
myself." "Very good," said Ben. "Rise betimes, and hear early chimes." With this effort of proverbial lore, Ben marched into the shop, where
old Oakley was, with a magnifying glass fitted to his eyes, performing
some extraordinary operation upon a microscope. Ben merely said "How is
you?" and then passed on to the back-room, having received from the old
optician a slight nod by way of a return of the friendly salutation. Ben
always esteemed it a stroke of good fortune when he found Johanna alone,
which, in the present instance, he did. She rose to receive him, and
placed one of her small hands in his, where for a moment or two it was
completely hidden. "All right?" said Ben. "Yes, as usual. No news." "I saw a boy at the door with a letter from a unicorn." "From a what?" "No, an addle--no. Let me see. A unicorn, waiting with a gentleman in
addle something. Easy does it. That ain't it, neither. Where is she?" Guessing that it was some one with a communication from some friend to
her, Johanna had glided to the door, and got the letter from the boy. She came with it to the parlour at once, and opened it. It was from
Colonel Jeffery, and ran as follows:--

    "DEAR MISS OAKLEY,--If you will oblige me with another meeting in
    the Temple Gardens this evening, at or about six, I have something
    to tell you, although I am afraid nothing cheering.--Believe me to
    be your sincere friend,

    "JOHN JEFFERY." She read it aloud to Ben, and then said--

"It is from the gentleman who, I told you, Ben, had interested himself
so much in the fate of poor Mark." "Oh, ah," said Ben. "Easy does it. Tell him, if he'd like to see the
beasts at the Tower any time, only to ask for me." "Yes, Ben." "Well, my dear, I came by the barber's, and what do you think?" Johanna shook her head. "Guess again." "Spare me, Ben. If you have any news for me, pray tell me. Do not keep
me in suspense." Ben considered a little whether what he had to say was news or not; and
then taking rather an enlarged view of the word, he added--

"Yes, I have. Todd wants a pious boy." "A what?" "A pious boy. He's got a bill in his window to say that he wants a pious
boy. What do you think of that, now? Did you ever hear of such a
villain? Easy does it. And he came out, too, and wanted to 'polish me
off.'" "Oh, Ben." "Oh, Johanna. Take things easy." "I mean that you should be very careful indeed not to go into that man's
shop. Promise me that you will never do so." "All's right. Never be afeard, or you'd never tame the beastesses.