"I've had a scrape already," said Crotchet, "and if you won't stand the
beer, why you won't, and there's no bones broke arter all. Good morning,
old Grampus. Good morning my little chap, I wishes you good luck; and if
I am passing again, I don't mind lending you a helping hand, though the
governor is about one o' the ugliest, nastiest tempered brutes, I ever
came near in all my life." Crotchet went away whistling with great composure. CHAPTER XCI. MR. TODD'S FIRST CUSTOMERS. Todd seized Johanna by the arm, and dragged her into the shop. He locked
the door, and then confronting her, he said--

"How kind it was of your friend, to take down the shutters for you,
Charley Green." "My friend, sir?" "Yes, your friend who declined being shaved, you know, because you told
him last night that he had better go to some other shop." "Really, sir," said Johanna, "I don't know what you mean." "Come, come, Charley, confess that you do know some one in London, as
well as you know me. Confess, now, that people are so fond of
interfering in other folk's affairs, that you have been set on to watch
me. I shall not be at all angry, indeed, I shall not, I assure you. Not
the least; only tell me the truth. That is all I ask of you, my boy, and
you will find that it is no bad thing to make a friend of Sweeney Todd." "If I had, sir, anything to confess," replied Johanna, "except that at
times I do feel that I wish I had not run away from my mother-in-law at
Oxford, I should soon tell it all to you." "And so that is all, Charley?" "All at present, sir." "What a good lad. What an exemplary lad. Light the shop fire, if you
please, Charley. Humph! I am wrong," muttered Todd to himself; "but yet
I will cut his throat before I leave to-night. It will be safer and more
satisfactory to do so, and besides, he has given me some uneasiness, and
I hate him for his quiet gentle ways. I hate everybody. I would cut the
throats of all the world if I could. Light the fire quickly, you young
hound, will you?" Johanna trembled. She felt that anything but a blow from Todd she could
put up with, but in her pocket she kept a jagged piece of flint stone,
which would go through the window in a moment; and she felt that through
she must throw it, if he only so much as raised his hand against her. The fire blazed up, and Todd at that moment had no further excuse for
abusing Charley. With a sulky growl, he said--

"You can call me out if any one comes," and then he retired to his back
parlour, closing and locking the door as usual. The morning felt rather raw, and Johanna was glad to warm her hands at
the fire in the shop, which soon burnt brightly; but she did not venture
upon keeping up a bright blaze for long. Todd's mode of managing the
fire, was always to keep a dry turf smouldering upon the top of it, from
which ample heat enough was emitted to keep the shaving-pot upon the
simmer. She now placed upon the fire one of those turfs, a small pile of
which were always ready in the corner of the shop. She had scarcely done so, when the shop door opened, and a man walked
in. "Is Mr. Todd in, my little man?" he said. "Yes, sir. Do you wish to see him?" Johanna wished, if it were possible,
to discourage visitors, but the man sat down at once in the shaving
chair, and placed his hat upon the floor, adding as he did so--

"Yes, a right down good shave I want. As good as if _St. Dunstan_
himself wanted one." The manner in which the man pronounced the words St. Dunstan was so
marked that Johanna felt convinced at once he was a friend, and she felt
quite a gush of pleasure at the thought that Sir Richard Blunt had such
a continual supervising eye upon her safety. She felt that she must not look at this man otherwise than as a
stranger. She felt that the least word of recognition might be fatal
both to him and to her. She knew that Todd had some small orifice
through which from his parlour he peeped into the shop, and that his eye
was now upon her she did not doubt. "I will call Mr. Todd, sir," she said in a moment. "He is close at
hand." "Thank you," replied the man. "I sit here as comfortable as _St. Dunstan_." "Yes," said Johanna, as she heard the watch-word of safety and
friendship once more uttered by that man who was in truth one of Sir
Richard's most confidential and trustworthy officers. She at once now proceeded to the door of the parlour, and tapped at it
until Todd opened it, and popped his head out with a grim smile. "Oh, Charley my dear," he said, "does a gentleman want me?" "Yes, sir." "A-hem! Good morning, sir," added Todd, as he advanced, tying on his
apron. "A shave, I presume, sir? A close shave, sir? I do think of all
the luxuries in life, sir, a good close shave--what I call a regular
polish off, sir--is one of the greatest in a small way. Charley, ain't
it near breakfast time, my good lad?" "Yes, sir," said Johanna. "I daresay it is." "Very good. The hot-water. Thank you my dear--you will take two pence
from the till, Charley, and get yourself somewhere about the market
a--Well now?" A thin man in a cloak made his appearance at the door of the shop, and
taking off his hat, made a bow, as he said--

"I believe I have the pleasure of speaking to the pious Mr. Todd?" "My name is Todd, sir. What is it?" "I am truly delighted," said the tall thin man sitting down upon the
nearest seat, and placing his hat upon his knees. "I am truly delighted
to see you. Pray go on shaving that gentleman, as I shall be some time." "Some time about what?" almost screamed Todd. "Finding the tract, from which I purpose reading to you a few extracts
upon the all-important subject of the election of grace, and the
insufficiency of works." Todd stropped a razor, and glared at the intruder, who, fitting on his
nose with great precision a pair of blue spectacles, began rummaging in
his hat. "Humph! this is it. No--this is not it. Well, I thought I had it here,
and so I have. This is--no. This is an imaginary and highly religious
discourse upon saints, and _St. Dunstan_ in particular." Johanna knew in a moment that this other man was a friend likewise. He,
too, had pronounced the words St. Dunstan in a peculiar manner. Todd suddenly became quite calm. "Sir," he said, "I take it as a very particular favour, indeed, that you
should have called here upon such an errand, and I only beg that you
will not hurry yourself in the least; I can go on shaving this
gentleman, and perhaps when he is gone, you will permit me the honour of
operating upon you?" "With great pleasure," replied the man. "Dear me, where can the tract
be? Is this it? No--this is about the pious milkmaid, who always put up
a prayer for the milking-pail, to prevent the cow from kicking it over. Dear me, where can it be? Oh, is this it? No--this is the story of the
pious barber's boy, who, when he had an opportunity, went over the way
and found his father there! Dear me, where can it be?" Johanna started.