CHAPTER CXXI.

TODD IS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL, AND EXPECTS THE WORST.

By the time the police office at Bow Street opened upon the morning, a

wild vague, and uncertain sort of rumour had spread itself over London,

concerning the discoveries that had been made at Todd's house in Fleet

Street, and at Mrs. Lovett's in Bell Yard, Temple Bar.

Of course, the affair had lost nothing from many-tongued rumour, and the

popular belief was, that Todd's house had been found full of dead bodies

from the attics to the cellars, while Mrs. Lovett had been actually

detected in the very act of scraping some dead man's bones, for tid-bits

to make a veal pie of.

A dense crowd had assembled in Fleet Street, to have a look at Todd's

now shut-up house, and that thoroughfare very soon, in consequence,

became no thoroughfare at all. Bell Yard too was so completely blocked

up, that the lawyers who were in the habit of using it as a short cut

from the Temple to Lincoln's Inn, were forced to take the slight round

of Chancery Lane instead; and the confusion and general excitement in

the whole of the neighbourhood was immense.

But it was in Bow Street, and round the doors of the police-office, that

the densest crowd, and the greatest excitement prevailed. There it was

only with the greatest difficulty that the officers and others

officially connected with the public office could get in and out of it

as occasion required; and the three or four magistrates who thought

proper to attend upon that occasion, had quite a struggle to get into

the court at all.

By dint of great perseverance, our friends, with Sir Richard Blunt, at

length succeeded in forcing a passage through the crowd, to the

magistrates private entrance, and having once passed that, they were no

longer in the smallest degree incommoded.

"Well, Crotchet," said Sir Richard, as he encountered that individual,

"Have you been to Newgate this morning?"

"Rather, Sir Richard."

"Any news?"

"No. Only that Todd has been a trying it on a little, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"Why he's only petikler anxious to save Jack Ketch any trouble on his

account, that's all, Sir Richard; so he's been trying to put himself out

o' this here world, and shove himself into t'other, without going

through all the trouble of being hung, that's all, sir."

"I fully expected that both Todd and Mrs. Lovett would make some such

attempts; but I hope the governor of Newgate has been sufficiently

careful to prevent the possibility of either of them succeeding."

"It's all right," added Crotchet. "I seed 'em both, and they is as

lively as black beetles as has been trod on by somebody as isn't a very

light weight."

The doors of the court had not been opened, but when they were, the

struggle for admission was tremendous, and it required the utmost

exertions of the officers of the establishment to keep anything like a

semblance of order. The few night charges were rapidly disposed of, and

while a gentleman who looked very foolish, was fined five shillings for

being drunk and disorderly the evening previous, a roaring shout from

the mob in the street proclaimed the arrival of the two important

prisoners from Newgate.

Up to some time after his arrest, Todd, notwithstanding some stray words

that would indicate a contrary state of things, fully believed that he

had succeeded in murdering Mrs. Lovett, and it was not until the morning

that he became aware of her escape from drowning in the Thames.

It did not require a conjuror to tell the authorities that there would

be some trouble in getting the prisoners to Bow Street, so it was

thought better to make one job of it, and to place Todd and Mrs. Lovett

in the same coach along with four officers.

With this intent the coach was brought close to the wicket-gate of

Newgate, and Todd and Mrs. Lovett, well guarded, were brought to the

lobby at the same moment. The moment Todd caught sight of Mrs. Lovett, a

kind of spasm seemed to shake his frame, and pointing to her, he cried--

"Does that woman indeed live, or is she but some fiend in the shape of

such a one come to torment me?"

"That is Mrs. Lovett," said the Governor.

"Oh, no--no--no," added Todd, "it is not so--it cannot be. The dark

rolling river cannot so give up its dead."

"You were well disposed that it should not," said Mrs. Lovett, bending

upon Todd a most ferocious glance.

"She is saved!" gasped Todd.

"Yes, I am saved to your confusion. I call you all to witness," she then

added in a loud voice, "that I had no idea of the extent of Todd's

iniquity; but what I do know I will freely tell as evidence for the

crown against him."

Mrs. Lovett looked peculiarly at the Governor while she uttered these

words, for she was anxious to know what he thought of them, but that

functionary took not the remotest notice.

At this moment one of the warders announced the sheriff, and one of the

Sheriffs of London with his gold chain of office on, appeared in the

lobby. To him Mrs. Lovett immediately turned, saying--

"Sir, I offer myself as king's evidence. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly, madam; but I have nothing to do with the matter."

"Nothing to do, sir? Then why do you wear that bauble?"

"My office, so far as you are concerned, madam, will be to keep you in

safe custody, and see that the sentence of the law is carried into

effect upon you, in case you should be convicted of the crimes laid to

your charge."

"But I turn king's evidence. It is quite a common thing that you have

all heard of that often enough."

"Now, madam, the coach is ready," said a turnkey.

"Where are you going to take me? Is not this Newgate?"

"Yes, but you must undergo an examination at the police-office in Bow

Street."

Without any further ceremony, Mrs. Lovett was handed into the coach, and

Todd after her. She was at first placed in the seat immediately opposite

to him, but she insisted upon changing it, saying, that she could not

bear to look at him all the way that she went, and as it was a matter of

no moment which way she sat, the officers so far indulged her as to

permit her to change her place.

In this way then, both of them upon the same seat, while three officers

sat opposite to them, and one with them, dividing them, they arrived at

Bow Street, and were met by that roaring shout, that everybody had

heard, from without the court.

Of course every precaution had been taken to prevent the mob from

wreaking their vengeance upon the criminals, which they were

well-disposed to do. A number of people were knocked down and some of

the officers rather roughly treated; but the result was, that Todd and

Mrs. Lovett were got into the office in safety.

Sweeney Todd, as he ascended the steps of the office, turned his head

for a moment, and looked at the sea of angry faces that was in the

street. He shuddered and passed on. Mrs. Lovett did not look round at

all.

With great difficulty the door of the office was closed, and then in a

few moments Todd and Mrs. Lovett were placed side by side at the bar of

justice.

There was one person sitting on the bench near to Sir Richard Blunt,

upon whom Todd fixed his eyes in amazement. That person was Johanna

Oakley. The features came at once to his recollection, and as though he

really doubted if he were awake or not, he more than once pressed his

hand upon his eyes.

[Illustration: Todd And Mrs. Lovett At Bow Street Police Office.]

His and every one else's attention were, however, speedily taken up by

the conduct of Mrs. Lovett. The moment comparative order was restored in

the crowded court, so that what she said could be distinctly and clearly

heard, she spoke--

"I am willing to turn king's evidence upon this occasion, and to declare

all I know of Todd's nefarious transactions. I am quite willing to tell

all--I don't perhaps know the full extent of Todd's guilt, but I repeat

I will turn king's evidence, and tell all I do know."

A gentleman, plainly dressed in black, rose new, and in a calm, assured

voice, said--

"Upon the part of the crown I reject the offer of the female prisoner.

Anything she may say will be used as evidence against her, if it bear

that construction."

"Reject?" cried Mrs. Lovett. "And pray, sir, who are you that you dare

reject such a proposition for furthering the ends of justice?"

"That, madam, is the Attorney-General," said an officer.

"Oh," said Mrs. Lovett, "and am I to understand that I am accused of any

participation in Todd's crimes?"

"You will find by the evidence that will be adduced against you of what

you are accused," said the magistrate. "You, I believe, Sir Richard

Blunt, give these people in charge?"

"Yes," said Sir Richard rising. "I charge them with, in the first place,

the wilful murder of Charles James Thornhill. If your worship should

think fit, from the evidence that will be brought forward, to commit

them upon that charge, I shall not at present trouble you with any

others, although I am fully prepared with several."

"What is the meaning of all this?" cried Mrs. Lovett. "I will be heard."

Sir Richard Blunt paid no manner of attention to her, but brought before

the magistrate quite sufficient evidence to warrant him in committing

both the prisoners for trial.

The only great effect that the proceedings seemed to have upon Todd

consisted in his surprise when Johanna Oakley came forward, and to her

examination he listened attentively indeed. When she related how, under

the name of Charles Green, she had taken the situation of errand boy at

Todd's shop, and been in daily communication with Sir Richard Blunt,

Todd dashed his clenched fist against his own head, crying--

"Dolt--Idiot--idiot! and I did suspect it once!"

Johanna went on then to state how in hunting over Todd's shop and house

for some vestige of Mark Ingestrie, the sleeve of a seaman's jacket was

found, which she had thought belonged to him, but which would be

identified by the captain of the ship as having been part of Mr.

Thornhill's apparel when he went on shore upon that fatal morning of his

murder, no doubt by Todd.

The evidence against Mrs. Lovett consisted of the fact of there being an

underground communication all the way from the cellars of Todd's house

to her cooking concern; and Mark Ingestrie had quite enough to tell of

that to make it tolerably clear they acted in concert.

Of course there could be but one opinion in the minds of all present of

the guilt of the prisoners; but it was necessary that that guilt should

be legally as well as morally proved, and hence the evidence was very

carefully arranged to meet the exigencies of the case.

"Have you any legal adviser?" said the Magistrate to Todd.

"No," was the brief response.

The same question was put to Mrs. Lovett, but she did not answer, and

the death-like paleness of her countenance sufficiently testified that

it was out of her power to do so. In another moment, overcome by dread

and chagrin, she fainted.

"Is she dead?" said Todd.

No one replied to the question, and he added--

"Look to her well or she will yet baffle you. If ever the spirit of a

fiend found a home in any human brain it is in that woman's. I say to

you, look to her well, or she will still baffle you all by some rare

device you little dream of."

Mrs. Lovett in her insensible state was carried from the court, and a

surgeon was in prompt attendance upon her. It was found that there was

nothing the matter with her; she had merely fainted through sheer

vexation of spirit at finding that her overtures to be evidence against

Todd were not attended to in the way she had wished; for now, with the

loss of everything but life, how glad she would have been to back out of

those odious transactions which clung to her.

Todd was asked if he had anything to say.

"Really," he said. "I do not know what it is all about. I am a poor

humble man, who get but a scanty living by shaving any kind customer,

and all this must be some desperate conspiracy against me on the part of

the Roman Catholic, I think."

"The Roman Catholics?"

"Yes, your worship. I never would shave or dress the hair of a Roman

Catholic if I knew it, and more than one of that religion have sworn to

be avenged upon me."

"And is this your defence?"

"Yes, exactly; it is all I can say; and if I perish, it will be as one

of the most innocent of men who ever was persecuted to death."

"Well," said the magistrate, "I have heard many a singular defence, but

never one like this."

"It's--it's truth," said Todd, "that staggers your worship."

"Well, you can try what effect it will have upon a jury. I commit you

for trial on the charge of wilful murder."

"Murder of whom?"

"Charles James Thornhill."

"Oh, your worship, he is alive and well, and now in Havannah. If I have

murdered him, where is the body?"

"We are prepared," said the Attorney General, "with that objection. At

the trial we will tell the jury where the body is."

Mrs. Lovett, now having sufficiently recovered, was brought into court

to hear that she was committed for trial, but she made no remark upon

that circumstance whatever; and in the course of a few moments another

shout from the multitude without announced that the prisoners were off

to Newgate.