"Highly satisfactory and unexceptionable security; they go into a small space, and do not deteriorate in value."
"And if they do," said the barber, "deteriorate in value, it would make no difference to you, for the illustrious person's honour would be committed to your redemption."
"I don't doubt that, your grace, in the least; I merely made the remark incidentally, quite incidentally."
"Of course, of course; and I trust, before going further, that you are quite in a position to enter into this subject."
"Certainly I am, and, I am proud to say, to any amount. Show me the money's worth, your grace, and I will show you the money—that's my way of doing business; and no one can say that John Mundel ever shrunk from a matter that was brought fairly before him, and that he considered worth his going into."
"It was by hearing such a character of you that I was induced to come to you. What do you think of that?"
Sweeney Todd took from his pocket, with a careless air, the string of pearls, and cast them down before the eyes of the money-lender, who took them up and ran them rapidly through his fingers for a few seconds before he said—
"I thought there was but one string like this in the kingdom, and those belonged to the Queen."
"Well," said Sweeney Todd.
"I humbly beg your grace's pardon. How much money does your grace require on these pearls?"