It was quite clear that she was too far gone in drunkenness for anything distinct or to be relied upon to be got from her, and the only thing Mrs. Lovett had to do, was to consider what to do with her. If she threw her out of the shop into the court, the probability was, that a crowd would collect round her, and that was just what Mrs. Lovett did not want. Indeed, for all she, Mrs. Lovett knew, the drunken woman might stagger round to Todd's, and let him know what of all things, she wished to keep secret from him, namely, that she had returned.
Mrs. Lovett had not yet formed her plans, and certainly until she had done so, she did not want any premature knowledge of her rescue from drowning to reach the ears of Todd.
But what to do with the drunken woman was the question. Mrs. Lovett had to think a little over that. At length, however, she made up her mind, and approaching the lady who had such a partiality for Old Tom, she said—
"Did you ever taste my cordial spirit, that I have up stairs in my bedroom?"
"Eh?"
"Come, I will give you a bottle of it, if you will walk up stairs. Only try."
By the assistance of Mrs. Lovett, the gin heroine rose and tottered to the staircase; Mrs. Lovett pushed her on, and stair by stair she managed to mount to the first floor. It was by far too great a job to get her any further, so opening the door of the back-room, Mrs. Lovett pushed her in with violence, and slammed the door upon her.
"Lie there and rot," she said, "so that you are out of my way. Lie there and rot, idiot."
Without then pausing to cast another thought or look at her victim, Mrs. Lovett walked down the staircase again to the shop.
When there, she felt a kind of faintness come over her, and she was compelled to sit down for a few minutes to recover herself.