He was resolved
to spend a little more time in listening, for he felt that once to
commit himself would possibly be to spoil his own chances of escape. He
kept his ear to the stone of the wall, then which shook more and more
each passing moment. Suddenly he heard a voice. In a drawling accent, it sang a few lines of
a popular thieves' song--

    "The beak looked big, and shook his head,
                        Heigho, the beak! He wished such family cares were dead,
    That honest folks might get their bread,
                        Heigho, the beak! The family cove, he grinned a grin,
                        Heigho, the cove! Says he, to prig I think no sin;
    For sure a Romany must have tin:
                        Heigho, the cove!" "It must be all right," thought Todd, "or he would not sing that song;
but what good it can do him to get from his own cell into this, I cannot
imagine. He would be equally confined here as there, and all his labour
thrown away. But together, we may do something. I will speak to him. Yes, I think I will speak to him." Todd still waited and lingered before he gave any intimation of his
presence and knowledge of what was going on, and then the song ceased,
and by the renewed vigour with which the tenant of the next cell worked
at the stone, it would seem that he had got very impatient at the length
of time it took him. Suddenly, the stone, which was about a foot square, shook so, that Todd
withdrew from it, thinking that it would come out of its place
altogether; and as it was evidently the object of the prisoner at the
other side to push it through into Todd's cell, he thought it better to
stand on one side, and let it come. Suddenly, with a crash, it fell through, and then Todd spoke, for the
first time, to the prisoner. CHAPTER CXXXIII. THE PROGRESS OF THE OPERATIONS TO ESCAPE FROM NEWGATE. "Who's there? Who are you?" cried Todd. "The deuce!" said a voice, from the adjoining cell. "Sold at last, after
all my trouble. Confound you, why didn't you speak before, and save me
the last hour's work?" "What do you mean?" cried Todd. "I am a desperate man. Do not tamper
with me. Do you belong to the prison, or do you not?" "I belong to the prison! I should think not. Don't you?" "Oh, no--no--no--no." "Why, you don't mean to say that you are a prisoner?" "I am, indeed, and condemned to die." "All's right then. Bravo! This is capital. I thought I was in the end
cell, do you know, and that by working through the wall by the
assistance of Providence always--Bah! I can't get out of the old trade. I mean to say, that I thought I was working through a wall that would
have taken me into one of the corridors of Newgate, and then there would
have been a chance of getting off, you know." "I do not know, and did not know," said Todd; "but if there be really
any chance of escape, I am a desperate man, and will risk anything for
it. Only say that you will help me." "Help you? Of course I will. Do you think I am in love with these cold
walls? No, I will get a light in a moment, and we can then have a look
at each other. Are you in fetters?" "I was, but I have a file, and have succeeded in freeing myself from
them completely. Are you?" "Yes, but I have muffled them with some pieces of my clothing that I
have torn up for the purpose, and please the Lord they will make no
noise." Todd was rather amazed at the religious expressions of the other
prisoner; but he forbore to make any remark concerning them, and as
something had been said about getting a light, he resolved to wait
patiently until it was procured, when he would be able to see who it was
that chance had so very strangely thrown him into companionship with. "You see," added the other prisoner, "a religious lady left me some
tracts, and as I told her they did not allow light here, she was kind
enough to smuggle me in some phosphorous matches, in case in the night I
should wish to read." "Very kind of her," said Todd. "Oh, very. Let us praise the--Bother, I shall never get out of the habit
of chaunting, I do believe." In a moment, now, a faint blue light illumed the cell adjoining to
Todd's, and as the religious lady had been kind enough to bring some
little wax ends of candles, the prisoner lit one, and placing it upon
the ledge left by the displaced brick in the wall, he put his face close
to it, and looked at Todd. Todd did the same thing, and looked at him. "Humph," said the prisoner. "They are not going to hang you for your
beauty, whoever you are, my friend." "Nor you," said Todd, who was a little stung by this cool remark, "for I
must say a more villanous looking countenance than yours I never saw in
all my life." "Then you certainly never looked in a glass." "Hark you, my friend," said Todd. "If we are to aid each other in
getting out of Newgate, it will not be by railing at each other through
a square hole in the wall of our cells. We had better leave all remarks
about our looks to other folks, and at once set to work about what is
much more important, namely, breaking our way out of this most
detestable of all places." "Truly," said the other; "you speak wisdom, and the Lord--Pho! The deuce
take it, when shall I get rid of the cant of the conventicle? My dear
sir, you see before you a man who has been a great victim." "What is your name?" "Lupin they used to call me. The Reverend Josiah Lupin." "Ah," said Todd. "I heard something of your case. I believe you murdered
a woman, did you not?" "Why, my friend," said Mrs. Oakley's old acquaintance, for indeed it was
no other, "I don't mind confessing to you, that a woman met with a
slight accident at my place, and they say I did it. But now that I have
been so candid, pray who are you?" "They call me Todd." The Reverend Mr. Lupin screwed up his mouth, and whistled. "Humph," he said. "The religious lady only this morning told me all
about you. You used to polish the people off in your barber's shop, and
then make them into pork pies, I believe?" "Ha! ha!" said Todd. "And you had a charming assistant in the shape of a lady, named Lovett,
I have been informed, who used to help you to scrape the bones of the
poor devils who had only just slipped in for a shave, and by no means
expected such a scrape." "Ha! ha!" said Todd. "Stop a bit," said Mr. Lupin, "don't come that sort of laugh again. It
don't sound at all pleasant. Well, I think we may manage to get out of
Newgate, do you know, by a little hard work, if you are willing; but
mind you, I don't want to be made a pork or a veal pie of, if you
please." "I never ate them myself," said Todd, "so there is no temptation; but I
sincerely hope, my friend, that you do not believe one word of the many
calumnies that have been heaped upon my character?" "Oh, dear no; and you, too, are well aware that I am the most falsely
accused and innocent clergyman that ever lived." "Perfectly."