while those persons, in whose happiness we and our readers, no doubt, likewise feel a kindly interest, are thus in the happy society of each other, compensating themselves for many of the mischances and deep anxieties of the past, some events were taking place in newgate of a character well worth the recording.

mrs. lovett, when she found that her proposition to turn evidence against todd would not be listened to, but that it was the fixed determination of the authorities to include her in the prosecution, became deeply despondent. upon being taken back to newgate, she did not say one word to any one; but when she was placed in her cell, she paced to and fro in its narrow confines with that restless perturbed manner which may be noticed in wild animals when caged.

after about an hour, then, she called to one of the attendants of the prison, saying—

"i wish to speak to some one who has authority to hear what i may choose to relate."

"the chaplain will come," was the reply.

"the chaplain!" repeated mrs. lovett with a burst of rage, "what do i want with chaplains? do i not know perfectly well that when a person is found too idiotic for ordinary duties he is made a chaplain of a jail? no! i will not speak to any of your chaplains."

"well, i never!" said the turnkey. "our chaplain for certain ain't a conjuror, but i never heard afore that he was sent here on account of being weak in the upper story. it's likely enough though for all that. perhaps mrs. lovett, you'd like to see the governor?"

"yes, he will do much better."

"very good."

such a prisoner as mrs. lovett could command an interview with the governor of newgate at any reasonable period; and that functionary having been apprised of her wish to see him, together with what she had said of the chaplain, repaired to her cell with an ill-concealed smile upon his face, for in his heart he perfectly agreed in mrs. lovett's estimation of jail chaplains.

"well, madam," he said. "what have you to say to me?"

"in the first place, sir, i am here without other clothing then that which i now wear. is it inconsistent with your regulations for me to have a box of clothes brought me from my home?"

"oh no—you can have them. i will get an order from the committing magistrate for you to have your clothes brought here. of course they will be scrupulously examined before they reach you."

"what for?"

"it is our custom, that's all."

"you are afraid that i should escape?"

"oh, no—no! no woman ever yet escaped from newgate, and i don't think any man ever will again."

"perhaps not. for my part, i care not how many men escape, so that you take good care sweeney todd does not."

"you may make yourself easy upon that score."

"good—then when i get my clothes here, i will make a full confession of all i know, regarding todd's crimes."

"and your own?"

"yes, if you like. and my own. be it so. but mark me, i will have no pettifogging, prying, canting parsons in the cell. if you bring your chaplain here i am mute."

"very well, i will say as much. of course, if you are inclined to make a confession, you can make it to whom you please."

"i should presume so."

with this, the governor left mrs. lovett, and she commenced again her uneasy pacing of the cell. in about two hours, a large box was brought to her with nearly the whole of her clothes from her house in bell yard. she selected a dress, with a number of heavy flounces, and put it on, appearing to be much better satisfied than she had been.

"ah," said the turnkey, "that's the way with women. give them dress, and even in newgate they feel comfortable, but make 'em go shabby, and you had much better hang them outright."

another hour passed, and then the governor, with a magistrate and writing materials, came to the cell of the wretched woman.

"if mrs. lovett," he said, "you still think proper to persevere in your intention of making a confession, this gentleman, who is a magistrate, will in his official capacity receive it, and i will witness it; but you do it entirely at your own risk and peril."

"i know it," replied mrs. lovett, "and i likewise do it to the risk of the peril of sweeney todd."

"you can make what statement you please. how far it will be taken as evidence against another, will depend entirely upon how it is in essentials corroborated by others," said the magistrate.

"i am content. now, sir, will you listen to me?"

"most certainly."

the governor arranged his writing materials, and while the magistrate listened, mrs. lovett said in a calm clear voice—

"believing that i am upon the brink of the grave, i make this statement. todd first connived the idea of that mutual guilt which we have both since carried out. he bought the house in bell yard, as likewise the one in fleet street, and by his own exertions, he excavated an underground connection between the two, mining right under st. dunstan's church, and through the vaults of that building. when he had completed all his arrangements, he came to me, and cautiously made his offer; but he did not tell me that those arrangements were then complete, as that he doubtless thought would have placed him too much in my power, in the event of my refusing to co-operate with him in his iniquity. he need not have given himself that amount of trouble; i was willing. the plan he proposed was, that the pie-shop should be opened, for the sole purpose of getting rid of the bodies of people, whom he might think proper to murder, in or under his shop. he said that fearing nothing, and believing nothing, he had come to the conclusion, that money was the great thing to be desired in this world, inasmuch as to it he had found that all people bowed down. he said that after the murder of any one, he would take the flesh from the bones quickly, and convey to the shelves of the bake-house in bell yard the pieces, as materials for the pies. minor arrangements he left to me. he murdered many. the business went on and prospered, and we both grew rich. he refused me my share of the spoil; and so i believe we both fell to our present state."

mrs. lovett makes her confession to the governor of newgate.

mrs. lovett makes her confession to the governor of newgate.

"have you any more to add?" said the magistrate.

"nothing. but i will answer you any question you may choose to ask of me upon the subject."

"no. it is not my province to ask anything. this is clearly a voluntary statement and confession. no questions need be, or ought to be, asked concerning it at all."

"very well."

"you are aware that it will be used against you."

"and against todd?"

"yes, it is a strong corroboration of the evidence against him; and as such, if there had been any doubt, would have gone far towards making his conviction certain."

"then i am satisfied, sir."

the magistrate slightly inclined his head and left the cell with the governor. when they were outside he said to the latter—

"i would advise you to keep a sharp watch upon that woman. my firm opinion is, that she contemplates suicide, and that this statement is merely made for the purpose of damaging todd as much as possible."

"no doubt, sir. you may depend upon our keeping a good watch upon her. it is quite impossible she can do herself a mischief. there is literally nothing in the cell for her to convert to any such use; besides, i doubt if really great criminals ever have the courage to die by their own hands."

"well, it may be so; of course your experience of these people is very considerable. i only tell you my impression."

"for which, sir, i am much obliged, and will be doubly cautious."

mrs. lovett, when she was once more alone, paced her cell in the same restless manner that she had done before. it was not then so much as it is now the custom in newgate to keep such a strict watch upon prisoners before conviction, and with the exception that there was a man in the passage close at hand, boxed up in a sentry-box, and whose duty it was now and then to open the small square wicket in the cell door, and see that the prisoner was all right, mrs. lovett had no surveillance over her.

as she paced to and fro, she muttered to herself—

"yes, i will do it. they think that i would go through the formal parade of a trial. they think that i will stand in one of their courts shrinking before a jury; but i will not—i will not. oh no, todd may do all that. it is fitting that he should; but i, having failed in my one great enterprise, will bid adieu to life."

she paused, for the man was at the wicket.

"do you want anything?" he said.

"no, my friend. only the poor privilege of being alone."

"humph! i thought i heard you speaking."

"i was only rehearsing my defence."

"oh, well; that's a new dodge anyhow. you take it easy, ma'am lovett, if anybody ever did."

"innocence, my friend, should be composed."

the turnkey stared at her through the little bars that crossed even that small orifice in the door, and then closed it without another word. he was scarcely used to such an amount of cool effrontery as he found exhibited by mrs. lovett.

"alone again," she said. "alone again. i must be cautious, or they will suspect my purpose. i must only converse with myself in faint whispers. i would not be thwarted willingly in this my last and boldest act; and i am resolved that i will not live to look upon the light of another day. i am resolved, and wound up to my purpose. oh, what poor fools they are to fancy they can prevent such a one as i am from dying when and how i wish! they have unwittingly supplied me with the ready means of death to-day."

these words were spoken so low, that if the turnkey had been listening with all his might on the other side of the door he could not possibly have overheard them. the recent visit of that functionary, if the peep through the little opening in the door could be called a visit, had taught mrs. lovett to be more cautious how she trusted the air of her cell with the secret resolves of her teeming brain.

but now that she had really and truly made up her mind to commit suicide, all the worst passions of her nature seemed to be up in arms and to wage wild war in her heart and brain; while amid them all was the intense hatred of todd, and the hope that she should be revenged upon him, by his being brought to death upon the scaffold, triumphant over every other.

"i had hoped," she said; "oh, how i had hoped, that i might have had the satisfaction of witnessing such a scene—but that is past now. i must go before him; but still it is with the conviction that die he must. i feel, i know that he will not have the courage to do as i am about to do, and if he had, i am certain he has not provided himself with the means of success as i have provided myself."

these last words she scarcely whispered to herself, so very fearful was she that they might be overheard by the turnkey who was so close at hand.

and now a fear came over her that he was watching her through some little hole or crevice of the door, and the very thought was sufficient to make her wonderfully uneasy. if it were so, there was quite sufficient reflected light in the cell to make every one of her actions easily observable, and so her cherished design of taking her own life would be defeated completely.

in lieu of a piece of whalebone in the back of her dress, there was a small tin tube, soldered perfectly tight against the escape of any fluid, and made fast at each end. that tin tube had been in the dress she now selected for many months, and it was filled with a subtle liquid poison, a very few drops of which would prove certainly fatal.

she dreaded that she should be observed to take this ingenious contrivance from her dress and pounced upon before she could break it open and make use of its contents.

she sat down on the miserable kind of bench which served as a bed, and in a very low whisper to herself she said—

"i must wait till night—yes, i must wait till night!"

she knew well that the indulgence of a light would be denied to her, and she smiled to herself, as she thought how that mistaken piece of prison policy would enable her to free herself from what now was the bitter encumbrance of existence.

"the twilight," she muttered, "will soon creep into this gloomy place, and it will be my twilight, too—the twilight of my life before, and only just before, the night of death begins. that night will know no dawn—that long, long sleep which will know no waking! yea, i will then escape from this strong prison!"