"Is he dead?" said the man to the coachman.
"How should I know?" was the reply; "he may be or he may not, but I want to know how long I am to wait here for my fare?"
"There is your money, be off with you. I can see now that the boy is all right, for he breathes, although it's after an odd fashion that he does so. I should rather think he has had a knock on the head, or something of that kind."
As he spoke3, he conveyed Tobias within the building, and the coachman, since he had got his six shillings, feeling that he had no further interest in the matter, drove away at once, and paid no more attention to it whatever. When Sweeney Todd reached the door at the end of the passage, he tapped at it with his knuckles4, and a voice cried—
"Who knocks—who knocks? Curses on you all! Who knocks?"
Sweeney Todd did not make any verbal reply to this polite request, but opening the door he walked into the apartment, which is one that really deserves some description. It was a large room with a vaulted5 roof, and in the centre was a superior oaken table, at which sat a man considerably6 advanced in years, as was proclaimed by his grizzled locks that graced the sides of his head, but whose herculean frame and robust7 constitution had otherwise successfully resisted the assaults of time. A lamp swung from the ceiling, which had a shade over the top of it, so that it cast a tolerably bright glow upon the table below, which was covered with books and papers, as well as glasses and bottles of different kinds, which showed that the madhouse-keeper was, at all events, as far as himself was concerned, not at all indifferent to personal comfort. The walls, however, presented the most curious aspect, for they were hung with a variety of tools and implements8, which would have puzzled any one not initiated9 into the matter even to guess at their uses. These were, however, in point of fact, specimens10 of the different kinds of machinery11 which were used for the purpose of coercing12 the unhappy persons whose evil destiny made them members of that establishment. Those were what is "called the good old times," when all sorts of abuses flourished in perfection, and when the unhappy insane were actually punished as if they were guilty of some great offence. Yes, and worse than that were they punished, for a criminal who might have injustice13 done to him by any who were in authority over him, could complain, and if he got hold of a person of higher power, his complaints might be listened to, but no one heeded14 what was said by the poor maniac15, whose bitterest accusations17 of his keepers, let their conduct be what it might, was only listened to and set down as a further proof of his mental disorder18. This was indeed a most awful and sad state of things, and, to the disgrace of this country, it is a social evil allowed until very late years to continue in full force. Mr. Fogg, the madhouse-keeper fixed19 his keen eyes from beneath his shaggy brows, upon Sweeney Todd, as the latter entered his apartment, and then he said—
"Mr. Todd, I think, unless my memory deceives me."
"True," said Mr. Fogg, as he reached a book, the edge of which was cut into a lot of little slips, on each of which was a capital letter, in the order of the alphabet—"true, you are not easily forgotten, Mr. Todd."
He then opened the book at the letter T, and read from it:—
"Mr. Sweeney Todd, Fleet-street, London, paid one year's keep and burial of Thomas Simkins, aged21 15, found dead in his bed, after a residence in the asylum22 of 10 months and 4 days. I think, Mr. Todd, that was our last little transaction; what can I do now for you, sir?"
"I am rather unfortunate," said Todd, "with my boys. I have got another here, who has shown such decided23 symptoms of insanity24, that it becomes absolutely necessary to place him under your care."
"Why, yes he does, and it's the most absurd nonsense in the world that he raves26 about; for, to hear him, one would really think that, instead of being one of the most humane27 of men, I was, in point of fact, an absolute murderer."
"A murderer, Mr. Todd!"
"Yes, a murderer—a murderer to all intents and purposes; could anything be more absurd than such an accusation16?—I, that have the milk of human kindness flowing in every vein28, and whose very appearance ought to be sufficient to convince anybody at once of my kindness of disposition29."
Sweeney Todd finished his speech by making such a hideous face, that the madhouse-keeper could not for the life of him tell what to say to it; and then there came one of those short, disagreeable laughs which Todd would at times utter, which, somehow or other, never appeared exactly to come from his mouth, but always made people look up at the walls and ceiling of the apartment in which they were, in great doubt as to whence the remarkable30 sound came.
"I will pay," said Sweeney Todd, as he leaned over the table, and looked in the face of his questioner, "I will pay for twelve months; but I don't think between you and I, that the case will last anything like so long—I think he will die suddenly."
"I shouldn't wonder if he did. Some of our patients do die very suddenly, and, somehow or other, we never know exactly how it happens; but it must be some sort of fit, for they are found dead in the morning in their beds, and then we bury them privately32 and quietly, without troubling anybody about it at all, which is decidedly the best way, because it saves a great annoyance33 to friends and relations, as well as prevents any extra expense which otherwise might be foolishly gone to."
"You are wonderfully correct and considerate," said Todd, "and it's no more than what I expected from you, or what any one might expect from a person of your great experience, knowledge, and acquirements. I must confess I am quite delighted to hear you talk in so elevated a strain."
"Why," said Mr. Fogg, with a strange leer upon his face, "we are forced to make ourselves useful, like the rest of the community; and we could not expect people to send their mad friends and relatives here, unless we took good care that their ends and views were answered by so doing. We make no remarks, and we ask no questions. Those are the principles upon which we have conducted business so successfully and so long; those are the principles upon which we shall continue to conduct it, and to merit, we hope, the patronage34 of the British public."
"Unquestionably—most unquestionably."
"You may as well introduce me to your patient at once, Mr. Todd, for I suppose, by this time, he has been brought into this house."
"Certainly, certainly—I shall have great pleasure in showing him to you."
The madhouse-keeper rose, and so did Mr. Todd, and the former, pointing to the bottles and glasses on the table, said—
"When this business is settled, we can have a friendly glass together."
To this proposition Sweeney Todd assented35 with a nod, and then they both proceeded to what was called a reception-room in the asylum, and where poor Tobias had been conveyed and laid upon a table, when he showed slight symptoms of recovering from the state of insensibility into which he had fallen, and a man was sluicing36 water on his face by the assistance of a hearth37 broom occasionally dipped into a pailful of that fluid.
"Quite young," said the madhouse-keeper, as he looked upon the pale and interesting face of Tobias.
"Yes," said Sweeney Todd, "he is young—more's the pity—and, of course, we deeply regret his present situation."
"Oh, of course, of course; but see, he opens his eyes, and will speak directly."
"Rave, you mean, rave!" said Todd; "don't call it speaking, it is not entitled to the name. Hush38! listen to him."
"Where am I?" said Tobias, "where am I? Todd is a murderer—I denounce him."
"You hear—you hear?" said Todd.
"Mad indeed," said the keeper.
"Oh, save me from him—save me from him!" said Tobias, fixing his eyes upon Mr. Fogg. "Save me from him; it is my life he seeks because I know his secrets. He is a murderer—and many a person comes into his shop, who never leaves it again in life, if at all."
"You hear him?" said Todd. "Was there ever anybody so mad?"
Tobias In The Hands Of The Mad-House Keepers.
Tobias In The Hands Of The Mad-House Keepers.
"Desperately39 mad," said the keeper. "Come, come, young fellow, we shall be under the necessity of putting you in a strait waistcoat if you go on in that way. We must do it, for there is no help in such cases if we don't."
Todd slunk back into the dark of the apartment, so that he was not seen, and Tobias continued, in an imploring40 tone—
"I do not know who you are, sir, or where I am; but let me beg of you to cause the house of Sweeney Todd, the barber, in Fleet-street, near St. Dunstan's church, to be searched, and you will find that he is a murderer. There are at least a hundred hats, quantities of walking sticks, umbrellas, watches, and rings, all belonging to unfortunate persons who, from time to time, have met with their deaths through him."
"How uncommonly41 mad!" said Mr. Fogg.
"No, no," said Tobias, "I am not mad. Why call me mad, when the truth or falsehood of what I say can be ascertained42 so easily? Search his house, and if those things be not found there, say that I am mad, and have but dreamed of them. I do not know how he kills the people. That is a great mystery to me yet; but that he does kill them, I have no doubt—I cannot have a doubt."
"Watson!" cried the mad-house keeper. "Hilloa! here, Watson."
"I am here, sir," said the man, who had been dashing water upon poor Tobias's face.
"You will take this lad, Watson, as he seems extremely feverish43 and unsettled. You will take him and shave his head, Watson, and put a strait waistcoat upon him, and let him be put in one of the dark, damp cells. We must be careful of him, and too much light encourages delirium44 and fever."
"Oh! no, no!" cried Tobias; "What have I done that I should be subjected to such cruel treatment? what have I done that I should be placed in a cell? If this be a madhouse, I am not mad. Oh! have mercy upon me!—have mercy upon me!"
"You will give him nothing but bread and water, Watson; and the first symptom of his recovery, which will produce better treatment, will be his exonerating45 his master from what he has said about him; for he must be mad so long as he continues to accuse such a gentleman as Mr. Todd of such things; nobody but a mad man or a mad boy would think of it."
"Then," said Tobias, "I shall continue mad; for if it be madness to know and aver46 that Sweeney Todd, the barber, of Fleet-street, is a murderer, mad am I, for I know it, and aver it. It is true—it is true."
"Take him away, Watson, and do as I desired you. I begin to find that the boy is a very dangerous character, and more viciously mad than anybody we have had here for a considerable time."
The man named Watson seized upon Tobias, who again uttered a shriek47 something similar to the one which had come from his lips when Sweeney Todd clutched hold of him in his mother's room. But they were used to such things in that madhouse, and cared little for them, so no one heeded the cry in the least; but poor Tobias was carried to the door half maddened in reality by the horrors that surrounded him. Just as he was being conveyed out, Sweeney Todd stepped up to him, and putting his mouth close to his ear, he whispered—
"Ha! ha! Tobias! how do you feel now? Do you think Sweeney Todd will be hung, or will you die in the cell of a madhouse?"
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1
jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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5
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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7
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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8
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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9
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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10
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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11
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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12
coercing
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| v.迫使做( coerce的现在分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配 | |
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13
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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25
rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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26
raves
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| n.狂欢晚会( rave的名词复数 )v.胡言乱语( rave的第三人称单数 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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27
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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28
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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29
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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32
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
sluicing
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| v.冲洗( sluice的现在分词 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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38
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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40
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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41
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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42
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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44
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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45
exonerating
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| v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的现在分词 ) | |
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46
aver
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| v.极力声明；断言；确证 | |
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47
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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