"Why, one would
think he was afraid of Todd." The spectators thought that nothing was more probable; and as Mr.
Crotchet considered that he had got all the information he was at all
likely to get from the beadle, he did not at all trouble himself to go
after him, but after considering for a few moments, decided upon seeking
Sir Richard Blunt, and telling him that he had heard some unexpected
news of Todd. Crotchet knew where to pitch upon Sir Richard at once; and when he
related to him what had taken place, a look of great chagrin came over
the face of the magistrate. "Crotchet," he said, "I have missed Todd, then, by what may be
considered a hair's breadth. He must have been in the pulpit while I was
in the church alone. Oh, that I could but for a moment have guessed as
much! You, if you recollect, Crotchet, were in the vaults, and I was
waiting for you." "To be sure, Sir Richard." "And so the rascal was almost within arm's length, and yet escaped me." Sir Richard Blunt paced to and fro in an agony of impatience and regret. To be so near apprehending Todd, and yet to miss him, was truly
terrific. "Lor, sir," said Crotchet, "what's the use of fretting and pining about
it? That won't bring it back, sir, I can tell you. After all, sir, you
can't do better than grin and bear it, you know, which is the out and
outest policy on all these here occasions, you know, yer worship. I wish
as I'd a knowed he'd been in the church as much as you do; but you don't
see me a _cussin_ and a knocking my own head about it, no how." "You are right, Crotchet, but in good truth it is most desperately
provoking. You will proceed as I have directed you, and I will run down
to Norfolk Street river, for fear Todd should try to escape us that way. You will be so good, Crotchet, as to be as vigilant as possible. You
know how to find me if you want me." "Rather, sir." At this moment, and just as Crotchet was upon the point of leaving the
room, an officer brought in a little slip of paper to Sir Richard Blunt,
upon which was the word "Ben." "Ben--Ben?" said Sir Richard, "who is Ben? Oh, I think I know. Pray show
him in at once. It is my friend the beef-eater, from the Tower." "Easy does it," said Ben, popping his head in at the door of the room. "Easy does it." "So it does, Ben. Come in. I am glad to see you. You can go, Crotchet. Pray be seated, Ben, and tell me how I can serve you in any way, my good
friend, and you may be assured that I shall have exceeding pleasure in
doing so, if I possibly can in any way." "Lord bless you," said Ben, "I hardly knows. There's ups and downs in
this here world, and ins and outs." "Not a doubt of it, Ben." "And retreats within retreats, Sir Richard, and foxes, and laughing
hyenas, as you can't concilliorate no how, if you wollop 'em till you
can't wollop 'em no more." "Precisely, Ben. If I were a hyena, I don't exactly think, do you know,
that such a process would conciliate me." "Oh, dear yes--it's the only way. But what I've come about, Sir Richard,
is what I calls a delicate affair. Oh, dear yes--I tries to take it easy
but I can't--I'm--I'm--"

"What, Ben?" "I'm in love! Oh!" "Well, Ben, there is no great wonder in that. I have been in love
myself, and I believe very few indeed escape the soft impeachment. I
hope your love is prosperous, Ben?" "Thank you kindly, Sir Richard, thank you; but, you see, I thought you
might tell me if there was any vice or natural kicking running in the
family, and that's why I comed here." "I tell you, Ben? Why I don't even know the name of the family." "Yes, you does, Sir Richard. The young woman as I fell in love with, is
Miss Julia Hardman, and her father is one of those chaps as nabs the bad
un's for you, you know, Sir Richard." "One of my officers?" "To be sure he is." "Does he reside in Norfolk Street, Strand?" "Does he? Ay, he does; and that's how I came to know the little morsel
of a cretur as has made for the first time an impression upon my heart. Oh, Ben, Ben, little could anybody think as you was a marrying sort of
person, and here you is in love with Miss Julia!" "It does seem to me a little extraordinary, Ben, for I must confess I
have heard you say some rather severe things against the married state." "I have--I have; and if it hadn't a been for all the marrying set-out
with those two girls, Johanna and Arabella, I never should have got sich
a idea in my head. Howsomedever, there it is, and there it is likely to
remain. It's a agravation, but there it is!" "And how did you get acquainted with Julia Hardman?" "Oh, dear! There's a public house at the corner of her street, and after
I had been to Cousin Oakley's, I used to go there at times and get a
drain of something, you see, and then she used to come tripping in with
a mug for the family beer, you see; and once it rained, so I took her up
and carried her home beer and all, and that was how we got acquainted,
you see, Sir Richard." "A very natural way too, Ben. All I can say is, that I know her father
to be a very worthy man indeed, and I believe the daughter is a good and
virtuous girl." "You don't say so? Then as there's no vice and kicking, I do believe I
shall have to marry her out of hand." CHAPTER CLVII. TODD FINDS THAT HE HAS GOT OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE. After this little explanatory conversation between Ben and Sir Richard
Blunt, the reader will probably guess that Todd's evil fortune had
actually carried him to that very house in Norfolk Street, Strand,
occupied by the Hardman family, to which he, Sir Richard, talked of
going to, to give instructions to his officer, and in which resided the
identical Julia, that Ben had carried home, beer and all, in the shower,
and to whom his large heart had become so deeply attached. Todd could hardly have fairly expected to be way-laid by such a
conjunction of events; and certainly when he laid himself down so
comfortably and easily in the bed at the lodging-house for the luxury of
a few hours' sleep, for which, if sleep he could, he had paid the
moderate price of three guineas, he little dreamt that his enemies were
rallying, as it were, around that house, and that in a short time their
voices would be actually within his hearing. Truly it seemed as though there were henceforth to be no peace in this
world for Todd; although, by circumstances little short of absolutely
miraculous, he did continue to avoid absolute capture, near as he was to
it at times. The great fatigue he had undergone, combined with the little refreshment
he had taken at the public-house in Hollywell Street, induced a feeling
of sleep in Todd's frame; and after he had lain in the bed at the
lodging-house for about a quarter of an hour, and found the house
perfectly still, and that the bed was very comfortable, he pulled the
clothes nearly right over his face, and fell fast asleep. Nothing but sheer fatigue could have given Todd so unbroken a repose as
he now enjoyed.