having traced todd and lupin thus far in their escape from the meshes in which the law had so properly bound them, we will now for a time leave the arch-villain todd in caen wood, hampstead heath, while we take a glance at what ensued in london, upon the escape of the two worthies from newgate.
it has often been remarked, that one person in london does not trouble himself about his neighbour's affairs, as is done in smaller communities, or know what is happening in his immediate vicinity; but it is likewise true, that nowhere does news travel so fast, or acquire so many exaggerations, as in london.
thus, then, in the course of a few hours, there was scarcely a person in the metropolis that was not aware of the escape of sweeney todd and mr. josiah lupin from newgate. and not only were they aware of the mere fact of the escape, but women had added so many extravagances to the whole affair, that it was quite wonderful to think of the fertility of invention of the illiterate persons who had added so many wonders and exaggerations to the real facts of the case, which, after all, lay, as the reader knows well, in a very small compass indeed, considering the magnitude of the result.
nor were the newspapers published on the ensuing morning at all backward in pandering to popular taste by making the affair as striking and as wonderful as they possibly could.
in one quarter of the town it was firmly believed that not only had todd and lupin set newgate on fire, but that they had murdered the governor and half a dozen turnkeys, and then made their way into the old bailey through the ruins of the prison over the dead bodies of their victims.
in another part of london it was currently reported that an infuriated mob had attacked the prison, for the purpose of taking out todd and hanging him forthwith, and that in the midst of the confusion incidental to such a scene, he had succeeded in making his escape in the disguise of a turnkey, with a huge bunch of keys in his hand as a symbol of his profession.
then again, in the highly religious district of islington, it was fully believed, and, in fact, cried through the streets, that his infernal majesty, in his own proper person, had called at newgate at about half past twelve at night, and taken away both the prisoners at once without any further ceremony.
but all these idle rumours might be safely left to sink or swim as the incredulity or the credulity of their authors and hearers might determine, since it was after all only to a very few persons that the escape of sweeney todd was of the smallest importance, and, to still from that, the fate of mr. lupin was of any importance at all.
the persons with whose feelings and wishes we and our readers feel interested, are those to whom the escape of todd presented grounds for some anxious and painful reflections; and it is to them and their proceedings that we would now draw the attention of our readers.
one of the first persons to whom the news was taken in a clear and compact unexaggerated form, was sir richard blunt, and at an early hour of the morning he was roused from his rest by a messenger, who presented him with a brief note, containing only the following words from the secretary of newgate—
"newgate.
"sir,
"the prisoner, sweeney todd, has escaped from the jail, along with one josiah lupin.
i am, sir, yours obediently,
"john smith."
"the deuce he has!" cried sir richard, as he sprung out of bed and began to dress himself with unusual speed, for sir richard seldom did anything in a hurry, as experience had long since told him how very little was gained by hurry and how much was sometimes lost.
as soon as he got his things on, he descended to his private room, and there found an officer from the prison waiting to give him the particulars of the escape, which was done in a very few words.
"and they are clear off?" said sir richard.
"quite so sir."
"well, after this, i rather think the secretary of state will agree with my opinion, that it is not bolts and locks and bars that are to be trusted to, to keep notorious and bold malefactors in prison, but a stout and watchful personal superintendence; and until that is the case, there will be continual prison escapes. such a man as todd should not have been allowed to be for five minutes quite alone."
"i think so, too," said the officer; "and there's another thing must be put a stop to before any good is done in newgate."
"what's that, my friend?"
"why, sir richard, the religious ladies must be stopped from coming in. the moment now that any notorious malefactor is cast for death, the prison is besieged by religious ladies, who, if they had their own way, would eat, drink, and sleep with him in his cell; and they bring in all sorts of things that are quite enough to help the fellow out of limbo. why, sir richard, there was michael richardson that was cast for death for murdering his wife; a religious lady came to pray with him, and brought him in files and tools enough for him to get out of the stone jug, and off they both went together to america."
"it is a serious evil."
"i believe you, sir richard; and, i think, the only way will be to let 'em all know that before they pass the lobby they will be well searched by a couple of turnkeys."
"that ought to stop them," said sir richard, as he rung the bell sharply. "you may depend upon it i will mention your suggestion to the secretary of state."
one of the magistrate's servants now made his appearance in answers to the summons by the bell.
"my horse directly, jones," said sir richard blunt.
"yes, sir."
in the course of ten minutes, sir richard blunt was mounted, and off at a good trot to the city. any one would have thought that he was going to newgate; but such was not the case. the prisoners had flown, and he felt that by going to the prison he could only gratify his curiosity by seeing the precise mode in which they had effected their escape, when by going where he did go, he might do some good.
he did not halt until he found himself at the shop of old mr. oakley, and then, although the hour was a very early one, he knocked at the door. mr. oakley put his head out at the window, and sir richard said—
"don't be alarmed; i only want to speak to you for a few moments."
"oh, dear me, yes," said the old man. "i'm coming down stairs directly—i'm coming."
in a few moments the old spectacle-maker opened the door, and came out to the side of the horse, from which the magistrate did not dismount, but leaning down to mr. oakley, he said, in an earnest tone—
"there's no occasion for any alarm, but i have come to tell you that sweeney todd has escaped from prison."
"oh, lord!"
"hush! it is of no great moment. where is your daughter and mr. ingestrie? i must put them upon their guard against anything that may arise, for there is no exactly saying what that rascal, todd, may be at."
"oh, he will murder everybody."
"i think, mr. oakley that is going just a little too far, for i will take good care that he don't murder me, nor any one else, if i can by any possibility help it. i will soon have him, i think. where is mr. ingestrie, mr. oakley?"
"oh, dear, they are at the new house in cheyne walk, chelsea. it's just opposite to the water if you go—"
"i know all about it, thank you, mr. oakley. all's right. be under no apprehension, and above all things, don't you believe one word of anything you hear about todd from popular rumour or from the newspapers. i will let you know everything that is of any consequence, personally or by letter. good morning. i hope mrs. oakley is quite well this morning?"
"yes, charming; but, dear me!"
"yes, it is dear me. good morning."
away rode the magistrate, and now he put his horse, which was a good one, to a smart trot, and made his way to colonel jeffery's house in a very short space of time; for london was not quite so large as it is now, and it was not a day's journey to go from one house to another if your friends happened to reside at different ends of the town. the colonel, at that hour of the morning, was up and walking in his garden. when sir richard blunt was announced, he guessed at once that something very unusual had taken place; and after shaking hands, he said—
"i know there's some news. sir richard. is it pleasant, or the other way?"
"in truth," said sir richard, "that is a question i can scarcely answer you yet. all i have got to say is, that you had better look out, for they have let todd get out of newgate."
"escaped?"
"exactly so."
"now that is too bad. one would really have thought they would have taken care of such a fellow as that. how in the name of all that's abominable is it, that if any one escapes from newgate, it is sure to be some notorious rascal who ought by all means to be the most carefully kept in it."
"ah! that i don't know, but i quite agree with you that it is a fact nevertheless."
"it's a very awkward thing, and i am particularly obliged to you for coming to let me know."
"why, the fact is, colonel, my opinion of todd is just this: that now he has lost all his money he is just like a wild beast, and that revenge against all and every one who has been instrumental in bringing him to his present condition, will be the dominant feeling in his breast."
"not a doubt of it."
"then by awaking you to a sense of this danger both to yourself and to your protege, young tobias, i am doing my duty. it is not courage that will protect any one from sweeney todd. if that had been the case, this is the last house i should have dreamt of coming to with a warning; but it will be only by the greatest circumspection that his attempt to assassinate may be avoided, and the villain foiled."
"i thank you with all my heart, and feel the truth of your observation. i will not mention the matter to poor tobias, for i feel that it would drive him half mad with terror; but i will take care to keep such a watch upon him, that no harm can come to him from todd, now that i know that there is danger. he may, of course, hear of the affair from other sources, but he shall not from me."
"that is right. mind you, colonel, i don't think this state of alarm must last long, and as regards tobias, i am in hope that at the same time he hears of todd's escape, he may hear of his recapture, for i am going to set about that as soon as i possibly can, after i have warned every one interested to keep themselves on the look-out concerning the rascal."
"you think you will have him again?"
"oh, yes. he must be without resources, or, at all events, comparatively so; and under such circumstances, we shall soon trace him. besides, he is rather a remarkable man, and one who, once seen, is not only easily known again, but easily described; so that when i set all the agencies on foot which i have at my command to find him out, he cannot for long elude me."
"i sincerely wish you every success."
"thank you, colonel, for i must now be off, for i have to get to chelsea to warn the ingestries of the possible, if not the probable danger of todd trying some delectable scheme of revenge against them, for he is most furious i know against johanna."
"off with you, sir richard, at once. do not let me detain you, when you are upon such an errand. i would not have any harm come to mrs. ingestrie for worlds."
"nor i. good morning."
the magistrate mounted his horse again, and waving his hand to the colonel, he again started at a good round trot, and made the best of his way by the nearest possible route he could to chelsea, where mr. and mrs. ingestrie had set up housekeeping in cheyne walk.
that portion of chelsea was then very fashionable, and from the appearance of the houses even now, it is very easy to see that it must have been a very desirable place at one time. all the evidences of wealthy ease meet you on every hand, as you look at those broad, well-put together, aristocratic residences, with their pretty bit of highly cultivated garden in front of them, and their massive doorways.
it was in one of these houses that johanna and her young husband had taken up their residence. the string of pearls had been actually purchased by royalty of johanna, and had produced a sum of money that had not only placed the young couple above all the ordinary pecuniary accidents of life, but had enabled them to surround mr. and mrs. oakley with comforts, although the old spectacle-maker, from very habit, would stick to his shop, declaring, and no doubt with great truth, that his daily labour was now such a thing of habit that he would be miserable without it.
it was a very different thing, though, for old mr. oakley now to work at the bench in his shop, when he felt that he was placed above the real necessity for doing so, to when he had worked very hard indeed to support himself and johanna, during the period, too, when in consequence of mrs. oakley's rather insane predilection for the reverend josiah lupin, there was no comfort in the house, and, but for johanna, all would have gone to rack and ruin.
the frightfully dirty ditch that lies before and beyond cheyne walk, chelsea, was not then in existence, so that the really handsome row of residences was not destroyed—as it is now—by such dubious companionship. the river, too, was much clearer than now of craft, and likewise much sweeter, so that really at times, when the sun shone upon its ripples, it really deserved the title of "the silver thames."
it was still an early hour when sir richard blunt reached chelsea—that is to say, it was what then was considered an early hour, for all the world was not in the hurry that is the fashion now, and people did everything in a much more easy and deliberate way than they do now.
what is gained, or pretended to be gained, by all the hurry-skurry and jostling and driving that characterises society at present? we must confess ourselves at a loss to imagine, and we are decidedly of opinion that people were both happier and better when everything was taken in an easy way, and when folks did not disturb their dignities by all sorts of frantic manoeuvres to save time, as if the whole end and aim of life was to get through as much of what is called business as possible, and as if the principal business of everybody was not to be as quiet and comfortable as possible.
the magistrate could not but pause for a moment as he reached cheyne walk and saw the bright sun shining upon the water, and gilding with beauty the sails of some small craft that were taking advantage of a light pleasant breeze to get along without labour.
"a pretty enough place this," he said, "and i don't know any that i should prefer to idle away my life in, if i had nothing to do, as i hope to have some of these odd days—but not yet."
