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The String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance.

James Malcolm Rymer · Public domain text

434,354 words · about 30 h 25 min to read

Cover of The String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance.

Text only · 88 illustrations omitted. Illustrated source.

About this edition

The text of The String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance. comes from Project Gutenberg e-text #59828. It is in English and public domain in the United States. Project Gutenberg’s header and license text are removed, and RedLectern sets the text out for reading on screen; no words of the book are rewritten or summarized. More formats (EPUB, Kindle) · How RedLectern is built

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About this book

Authors
James Malcolm Rymer (died 1884), Thomas Peckett Prest (1810–1859)
Language
English
Subjects
Historical fiction, Horror tales, Revenge › Fiction, Young women › Fiction, Missing persons › Fiction, Suspense fiction
Length
434,354 words · about 30 h 25 min
Sections
179 reader sections · Table of contents
Contents (179)
  1. Opening under 1 min
  2. Preface about 1 min
  3. I. THE STRANGE CUSTOMER AT SWEENEY TODD'S about 15 min
  4. II. THE SPECTACLE-MAKER'S DAUGHTER about 14 min
  5. III. A MAN IS LOST about 16 min
  6. IV. THE PIE-SHOP, BELL-YARD about 11 min
  7. V. THE MEETING IN THE TEMPLE about 13 min
  8. VI. THE CONFERENCE, AND THE FEARFUL NARRATION IN THE GARDEN about 17 min
  9. VII. THE BARBER AND THE LAPIDARY about 8 min
  10. VIII. THE THIEVES' HOME about 18 min
  11. IX. JOHANNA AT HOME, AND THE RESOLUTION about 14 min
  12. X. THE COLONEL AND HIS FRIEND about 24 min
  13. XI. THE STRANGER AT LOVETT'S about 15 min
  14. XII. THE RESOLUTION COME TO BY JOHANNA OAKLEY about 22 min
  15. XIII. JOHANNA'S INTERVIEW WITH ARABELLA WILMOT, AND THE ADVICE about 15 min
  16. XIV. TOBIAS'S THREAT, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES about 5 min
  17. XV. THE SECOND INTERVIEW BETWEEN JOHANNA AND THE COLONEL IN THE TEMPLE GARDENS about 11 min
  18. XVI. THE BARBER MAKES ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO SELL THE STRING OF PEARLS about 11 min
  19. XIV. THE GREAT CHANGE IN THE PROSPECTS OF SWEENEY TODD about 10 min
  20. XV. TOBIAS'S ADVENTURES DURING THE ABSENCE OF SWEENEY TODD about 12 min
  21. XVI. THE STRANGE ODOUR IN OLD ST. DUNSTAN'S CHURCH about 8 min
  22. XVII. SWEENEY TODD'S PROCEEDINGS CONSEQUENT UPON THE DEPARTURE OF TOBIAS about 11 min
  23. XVIII. THE MISADVENTURE OF TOBIAS.--THE MAD-HOUSE ON PECKHAM-RYE about 8 min
  24. XIX. THE MADHOUSE CELL about 9 min
  25. XX. THE NEW COOK TO MRS. LOVETT GETS TIRED OF HIS SITUATION about 13 min
  26. XXI. THE NIGHT AT THE MADHOUSE about 9 min
  27. XXII. MR. FOGG'S STORY AT THE MADHOUSE TO SWEENEY TODD about 23 min
  28. XXIV. COLONEL JEFFERY MAKES ANOTHER EFFORT TO COME AT SWEENEY TODD'S SECRET about 15 min
  29. XXV. TOBIAS MAKES AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM THE MADHOUSE about 6 min
  30. XXVI. THE MADHOUSE YARD, AND TOBIAS'S NEW FRIEND about 10 min
  31. XXVII. THE CONSULTATION OF COLONEL JEFFERY WITH THE MAGISTRATE about 8 min
  32. XXVIII. TOBIAS'S ESCAPE FROM MR. FOGG'S ESTABLISHMENT about 30 min
  33. XXIX. TOBIAS'S RAPID JOURNEY TO LONDON about 5 min
  34. XXX. MRS. LOVETT'S COOK MAKES A DESPERATE ATTEMPT about 14 min
  35. XXXI. SHOWS HOW TOBIAS GOT TO LONDON about 11 min
  36. XXII. TOBIAS HAS A MIND DISEASED about 8 min
  37. XXXIII. JOHANNA WALKS ABROAD IN DISGUISE about 13 min
  38. XXXIV. MR. FOGG FINDS THAT ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS about 10 min
  39. XXXV. MRS. LOVETT'S NEW LOVER about 10 min
  40. XXXVI. TOBIAS'S MOTHER AWAKENS OLD RECOLLECTIONS about 11 min
  41. XXXVII. THE SEARCH AT TODD'S about 11 min
  42. XXXVIII. SIR RICHARD PRIES INTO TODD'S SECRETS about 10 min
  43. XXXIX. THE MYSTERIOUS CUPBOARD about 10 min
  44. XL. CROTCHET ASTONISHES MR. TODD about 10 min
  45. XLI. TODD'S VISION about 10 min
  46. XLII. THE GREAT SACRIFICE about 9 min
  47. XLIII. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE about 9 min
  48. XLIV. TODD AND THE SILVERSMITH about 9 min
  49. XLV. JOHANNA'S NEW SITUATION about 10 min
  50. XLVI. TOBIAS'S HEART IS TOUCHED about 12 min
  51. XLVII. TOBIAS RECOVERS HIS INTELLECT about 8 min
  52. XLVIII. JOHANNA MAKES A NEW CONFIDANT about 13 min
  53. XLIX. THE VAULTS OF ST. DUNSTAN'S about 7 min
  54. L. THE DESCENT TO THE VAULTS about 9 min
  55. LI. JOHANNA RUSHES TO HER DESTINY about 10 min
  56. LII. TODD'S ANNOUNCEMENT about 10 min
  57. LIII. THE MURDER OF THE USURER about 8 min
  58. LIV. SIR RICHARD BLUNT'S PROGRESS about 8 min
  59. LV. MRS. LOVETT'S WALK about 10 min
  60. LVI. TOBIAS UNBOSOMS HIMSELF about 9 min
  61. LVII. SIR RICHARD BLUNT'S ADVENTURES CONTINUED about 9 min
  62. LVII. BIG BEN MAKES A DISCOVERY about 9 min
  63. LVIII. THE GRAND CONSULTATION IN THE TEMPLE about 12 min
  64. LIX. THE PROPOSAL OF ARABELLA about 7 min
  65. LX. TODD FINDS A BOY about 6 min
  66. LXI. TODD RECEIVES SOME STARTLING INTELLIGENCE about 7 min
  67. LXII. TODD CLEARS OFF CIRCUMSTANCES about 13 min
  68. LXIII. JOHANNA STARTS FOR TODD'S about 8 min
  69. LXIV. TODD COMMENCES PACKING UP about 8 min
  70. LXV. A MOONLIGHT VISIT TO ST. DUNSTAN'S VAULTS about 9 min
  71. LXVI. THE COOK'S VISITORS about 8 min
  72. LXVII. THE REVELATIONS IN THE VAULTS about 8 min
  73. LXVIII. RETURNS TO JOHANNA about 10 min
  74. LXIX. TAKES A PEEP AT ARABELLA about 8 min
  75. LXX. RETURNS TO JOHANNA about 11 min
  76. LXXI. THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER about 9 min
  77. LXXII. ANOTHER VICTIM about 10 min
  78. LXXIII. STARTLING EVENTS about 9 min
  79. LXXIV. BIG BEN CREATES A SENSATION about 10 min
  80. LXXV. COLONEL JEFFERY OPENS HIS EYES about 9 min
  81. LXXVI. ARABELLA AND THE COLONEL about 9 min
  82. LXXVII. MRS. LOVETT VISITS THE BANK about 10 min
  83. LXXVIII. MUTUAL DEFIANCE about 10 min
  84. LXXIX. MRS. LOVETT FINDS THAT IN THIS WORLD THERE IS RETRIBUTION about 9 min
  85. LXXX. TODD TAKES A JOURNEY TO THE TEMPLE about 10 min
  86. LXXXI. JOHANNA IS ENCOURAGED about 9 min
  87. LXXXII. TODD PLANS about 8 min
  88. LXXXII. TODD VISITS THE COLONEL about 11 min
  89. LXXXIII. TOBIAS IN JEOPARDY about 10 min
  90. LXXXIV. TODD'S WONDERFUL ESCAPE about 10 min
  91. LXXXV. SIR RICHARD MAKES PLANS about 11 min
  92. LXXXVI. TODD RECEIVES TWO EXTRAORDINARY LETTERS, AND ACTS UPON THEM about 10 min
  93. LXXXVII. MR. LUPIN MEDDLES WITH OTHER FOLKS' AFFAIRS about 10 min
  94. LXXXVIII. TODD ASTONISHES MRS. LOVETT'S SPY about 9 min
  95. LXXXIX. MR. OAKLEY IS IN DESPAIR AT THE LOSS OF JOHANNA about 10 min
  96. XC. MORNING IN FLEET STREET AGAIN about 9 min
  97. XCI. MR. TODD'S FIRST CUSTOMERS about 9 min
  98. XCII. MR. OAKLEY'S ANXIETIES MUCH DIMINISH about 9 min
  99. XCIII. SIR RICHARD BLUNT'S SUBTERRANEAN EXPEDITION about 9 min
  100. XCIV. IN THE VAULTS about 9 min
  101. XCV. MRS. LOVETT IS VERY INTRACTABLE INDEED about 8 min
  102. XCVI. THE BOAT ON THE RIVER about 9 min
  103. XCVII. THE ATTEMPTED MURDER ON THE THAMES about 10 min
  104. XCVIII. JOHANNA HAS A VISITOR WHILE TODD IS GONE UPON THE RIVER about 11 min
  105. XCIX. THE COOK FEELS THAT ALL THE WORLD NEGLECTS HIM, AND THEN HE GETS A LETTER about 10 min
  106. C. TODD TAKES HIS LAST WALK UP FLEET STREET AND TO BELL YARD about 10 min
  107. CI. TODD MAKES HIMSELF QUITE AT HOME IN BELL-YARD about 11 min
  108. CII. TAKES A SLIGHT GLANCE AT TOBIAS AND HIS INTENDED about 9 min
  109. CIII. MR. LUPIN HAS A SINGULAR INTERVIEW WITH MRS. OAKLEY about 10 min
  110. CIV. MRS. OAKLEY SEES A STRANGE SIGHT, AND THINKS THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME about 11 min
  111. CV. MRS. OAKLEY ESCAPES, AND TAKES A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THINGS IN GENERAL about 10 min
  112. CVI. MR. LUPIN FINDS HIMSELF IN AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT about 10 min
  113. CVII. MRS. OAKLEY DISSEMBLES about 10 min
  114. CVIII. RETURNS TO MRS. LOVETT, AND SHOWS HOW SHE GOT OUT OF THE RIVER about 9 min
  115. CIX. JOHANNA HAS PLENTY OF COMPANY AT TODD'S about 15 min
  116. CX. TODD'S HOUR HAS COME about 12 min
  117. CXI. MRS. LOVETT PLANS about 10 min
  118. CXII. MRS. LOVETT FINDS THAT IT IS EASIER TO PLAN THAN TO EXECUTE about 11 min
  119. CXIII. THE ROUTE TO NEWGATE--MRS. LOVETT'S DANGER FROM THE MOB about 6 min
  120. CXIV. THE COOK WAITS UPON SIR RICHARD BLUNT AND HEARS NEWS about 11 min
  121. CXV. THE COOK BECOMES A VERY IMPORTANT PERSONAGE about 10 min
  122. CXVI. JOHANNA IS AMPLY PAID FOR HER BRIEF SERVICE AT TODD'S about 9 min
  123. CXVII. SHOWS HOW MRS. OAKLEY RECONCILED HERSELF TO EVERYBODY AT HOME about 9 min
  124. CXVIII. TAKES A PEEP AT TOBIAS AT THE COLONEL'S HOUSE about 9 min
  125. CXIX. THE CRIMINALS IN NEWGATE.--TODD'S ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE about 9 min
  126. CXX. A LUNCHEON AT SIR RICHARD BLUNT'S.--THE DOG AND HIS OLD FRIEND about 9 min
  127. CXXI. TODD IS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL, AND EXPECTS THE WORST about 10 min
  128. CXXII. A LARGE PARTY VISITS BIG BEN AND THE LIONS IN THE TOWER about 10 min
  129. CXXIII. THE BEASTS AT THE TOWER about 10 min
  130. CXXIV. RETURNS TO NEWGATE, AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF MRS. LOVETT about 10 min
  131. CXXV. MRS. LOVETT SEES SOME TWILIGHT SPECTRES IN HER CELL about 9 min
  132. CXXVI. SWEENEY TODD IS PLACED UPON HIS TRIAL about 9 min
  133. CXXVII. THE TRIAL OF SWEENEY TODD CONTINUED about 9 min
  134. CXXVIII. TODD'S TRIAL CONTINUES, AND GOES ALL AGAINST HIM about 9 min
  135. CXXIX. THE TRIAL OF SWEENEY TODD CONTINUED about 9 min
  136. CXXX. TODD ENTERTAINS SOME HOPES OF AN ACQUITTAL about 10 min
  137. CXXXI. TODD MAKES AN ATTEMPT UPON HIS OWN LIFE about 10 min
  138. CXXXII. TODD MAKES AN ACQUAINTANCE IN NEWGATE, AND TRIES AN ESCAPE about 10 min
  139. CXXXIII. THE PROGRESS OF THE OPERATIONS TO ESCAPE FROM NEWGATE about 10 min
  140. CXXXIV. THE ESCAPE, AND THE RETREAT IN CAEN WOOD, HAMPSTEAD about 10 min
  141. CXXXV. THE CHASE THROUGH SMITHFIELD, AND THE MURDER about 9 min
  142. CXXXVI. TODD AND LUPIN ESCAPE TO CAEN WOOD about 10 min
  143. CXXXVII. THE MURDER AT CAEN WOOD, HAMPSTEAD about 10 min
  144. CXXXVIII. CAEN WOOD AND HAMPSTEAD IN THE OLD TIMES about 10 min
  145. CXXXIX. THE ADVENTURES IN CAEN WOOD OF THE TWO MURDERERS about 11 min
  146. CXL. SHOWS HOW THE NEWS OF TODD'S ESCAPE WAS RECEIVED BY ALL CONCERNED about 12 min
  147. CXLI. SHOWS HOW TODD MADE UP HIS MIND TO VENGEANCE about 9 min
  148. CXLII. RETURNS TO TODD IN THE WOOD AT HAMPSTEAD about 10 min
  149. CXLIII. TODD TAKES A LOOK AT HIS OLD QUARTERS IN FLEET STREET about 11 min
  150. CXLIV. TODD MAKES HIS WAY INTO HIS OWN HOUSE about 11 min
  151. CXLV. TODD HAS A NARROW ESCAPE, AND HAS A BIT OF REVENGE about 11 min
  152. CXLVI. THERE IS A FIRE IN FLEET STREET AFTER ALL.--TODD ESCAPES about 10 min
  153. CXLVII. SIR RICHARD BLUNT AND CROTCHET COMMENCE THEIR SEARCH FOR TODD about 12 min
  154. CXLVIII. SHOWS HOW TODD HAD A VERY NARROW ESCAPE INDEED about 10 min
  155. CXLIX. TODD IS IN GREAT PERIL IN THE EARLY MORNING IN LONDON about 11 min
  156. CL. TODD SETS FIRE TO HIS HOUSE, AND THEN HIDES IN THE CHURCH about 11 min
  157. CLI. SHIFTS THE SCENE TO ONE OF QUIET GOODNESS AND SERENITY about 9 min
  158. CLII. TODD HAS SOME FURTHER ADVENTURES IN FLEET STREET about 11 min
  159. CLIII. TODD ASTONISHES THE BEADLE, AND ESCAPES PROM ST. DUNSTAN'S about 11 min
  160. CLIV. DETAILS THE PERILOUS SITUATION OF THE BEADLE about 11 min
  161. CLV. TODD GETS THE BETTER OF THE SHARPERS, AND TAKES A BOAT about 10 min
  162. CLVI. SIR RICHARD BLUNT IS VERY NEAR TAKING HIS PRISONER about 10 min
  163. CLVII. TODD FINDS THAT HE HAS GOT OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE about 10 min
  164. CLVIII. TODD'S FEARFUL ADVENTURES ON THE RIVER about 10 min
  165. CLIX. TODD MAKES A VIGOROUS ATTEMPT TO REACH GRAVESEND about 10 min
  166. CLX. THE POLICE-GALLEY ON THE THAMES about 11 min
  167. CLXI. THE POLICE-GALLEY'S FATE about 9 min
  168. CLXII. ANOTHER BOAT about 10 min
  169. CLXIII. ANOTHER POLICE-GALLEY about 10 min
  170. CLXIV. TODD GOES BACK ON LAND about 11 min
  171. CLXV. TODD HIDES IN A CUPBOARD about 11 min
  172. CLXVI. THE SHIP BOUND FOR HAVRE TAKES A PASSENGER about 10 min
  173. CLXVII. TODD MEETS WITH A LITTLE ROUGH WEATHER IN THE CHANNEL about 9 min
  174. CLXVIII. TODD GETS A WORLD OF MARITIME EXPERIENCE about 9 min
  175. CLXIX. TAKES A PEEP AT SOME FRIENDS OF THE READER about 9 min
  176. CLXX. MARK INGESTRIE RESCUES A SHIPWRECKED MAN about 9 min
  177. CLXXI. A RATHER IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IS MADE about 9 min
  178. CLXXII. THE PURSUIT OF TODD ON THE LONDON ROAD about 8 min
  179. CLXXIII. THE CONCLUSION about 1 min

The opening of Preface

THE ROMANCE OF THE STRING OF PEARLS having excited in the Literary world an almost unprecedented interest, it behoves the author to say a few words to his readers upon the completion of his labours.

In answer to the many inquiries that have been, from time to time, made regarding the fact of whether there ever was such a person as Sweeney Todd in existence, we can unhesitatingly say, that there certainly was such a man; and the record of his crimes is still to be found in the chronicles of criminality of this country.

The house in Fleet Street, which was the scene of Todd's crimes, is no more. A fire, which destroyed some half-dozen buildings on that side of the way, involved Todd's in destruction; but the secret passage, although, no doubt, partially blocked up with the re-building of St. Dunstan's Church, connecting the vaults of that edifice with the cellars of what was Todd's house in Fleet Street, still remains.

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