Browse books

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

By James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest

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

Cover: Ludgate Hill - A block in the Street (1872), wood engraving from London: A Pilgrimage by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (artist died 1883; published 1872)

The Victorian penny dreadful that gave the world Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, first serialised in 1846-47. A reader finds missing customers, a pie shop nearby and breathless, lurid melodrama.

Summary written with Claude Sonnet 5.5.

Start reading

Table of contents

  1. 1: The Strange Customer at Sweeney Todd's
  2. 2: The Spectacle-Maker's Daughter
  3. 3: A Man Is Lost
  4. 4: The Pie-Shop, Bell-Yard
  5. 5: The Meeting in the Temple
  6. 6: The Conference, and the Fearful Narration in the Garden
  7. 7: The Barber and the Lapidary
  8. 8: The Thieves' Home
  9. 9: Johanna at Home, and the Resolution
  10. 10: The Colonel and His Friend
  11. 11: The Stranger at Lovett's
  12. 12: The Resolution Come to by Johanna Oakley
  13. 13: Johanna's Interview with Arabella Wilmot, and the Advice
  14. 14: Tobias's Threat, and Its Consequences
  15. 15: The Second Interview Between Johanna and the Colonel in the Temple Gardens
  16. 16: The Barber Makes Another Attempt to Sell the String of Pearls
  17. 17: The Great Change in the Prospects of Sweeney Todd
  18. 18: Tobias's Adventures During the Absence of Sweeney Todd
  19. 19: The Strange Odour in Old St. Dunstan's Church
  20. 20: Sweeney Todd's Proceedings Consequent upon the Departure of Tobias
  21. 21: The Misadventure of Tobias.--the Mad-House on Peckham-Rye
  22. 22: The Madhouse Cell
  23. 23: The New Cook to Mrs. Lovett Gets Tired of His Situation
  24. 24: The Night at the Madhouse
  25. 25: Mr. Fogg's Story at the Madhouse to Sweeney Todd
  26. 26: Colonel Jeffery Makes Another Effort to Come at Sweeney Todd's Secret
  27. 27: Tobias Makes an Attempt to Escape from the Madhouse
  28. 28: The Madhouse Yard, and Tobias's New Friend
  29. 29: The Consultation of Colonel Jeffery with the Magistrate
  30. 30: Tobias's Escape from Mr. Fogg's Establishment
  31. 31: Tobias's Rapid Journey to London
  32. 32: Mrs. Lovett's Cook Makes a Desperate Attempt
  33. 33: Shows How Tobias Got to London
  34. 34: Tobias Has a Mind Diseased
  35. 35: Johanna Walks Abroad in Disguise
  36. 36: Mr. Fogg Finds That All Is Not Gold That Glitters
  37. 37: Mrs. Lovett's New Lover
  38. 38: Tobias's Mother Awakens Old Recollections
  39. 39: The Search at Todd's
  40. 40: Sir Richard Pries into Todd's Secrets
  41. 41: The Mysterious Cupboard
  42. 42: Crotchet Astonishes Mr. Todd
  43. 43: Todd's Vision
  44. 44: The Great Sacrifice
  45. 45: An Old Acquaintance
  46. 46: Todd and the Silversmith
  47. 47: Johanna's New Situation
  48. 48: Tobias's Heart Is Touched
  49. 49: Tobias Recovers His Intellect
  50. 50: Johanna Makes a New Confidant
  51. 51: The Vaults of St. Dunstan's
  52. 52: The Descent to the Vaults
  53. 53: Johanna Rushes to Her Destiny
  54. 54: Todd's Announcement
  55. 55: The Murder of the Usurer
  56. 56: Sir Richard Blunt's Progress
  57. 57: Mrs. Lovett's Walk
  58. 58: Tobias Unbosoms Himself
  59. 59: Sir Richard Blunt's Adventures Continued
  60. 60: Big Ben Makes a Discovery
  61. 61: The Grand Consultation in the Temple
  62. 62: The Proposal of Arabella
  63. 63: Todd Finds a Boy
  64. 64: Todd Receives Some Startling Intelligence
  65. 65: Todd Clears Off Circumstances
  66. 66: Johanna Starts for Todd's
  67. 67: Todd Commences Packing Up
  68. 68: A Moonlight Visit to St. Dunstan's Vaults
  69. 69: The Cook's Visitors
  70. 70: The Revelations in the Vaults
  71. 71: Returns to Johanna
  72. 72: Takes a Peep at Arabella
  73. 73: Returns to Johanna
  74. 74: The Mysterious Letter
  75. 75: Another Victim
  76. 76: Startling Events
  77. 77: Big Ben Creates a Sensation
  78. 78: Colonel Jeffery Opens His Eyes
  79. 79: Arabella and the Colonel
  80. 80: Mrs. Lovett Visits the Bank
  81. 81: Mutual Defiance
  82. 82: Mrs. Lovett Finds That in This World There Is Retribution
  83. 83: Todd Takes a Journey to the Temple
  84. 84: Johanna Is Encouraged
  85. 85: Todd Plans
  86. 86: Todd Visits the Colonel
  87. 87: Tobias in Jeopardy
  88. 88: Todd's Wonderful Escape
  89. 89: Sir Richard Makes Plans
  90. 90: Todd Receives Two Extraordinary Letters, and Acts upon Them
  91. 91: Mr. Lupin Meddles with Other Folks' Affairs
  92. 92: Todd Astonishes Mrs. Lovett's Spy
  93. 93: Mr. Oakley Is in Despair at the Loss of Johanna
  94. 94: Morning in Fleet Street Again
  95. 95: Mr. Todd's First Customers
  96. 96: Mr. Oakley's Anxieties Much Diminish
  97. 97: Sir Richard Blunt's Subterranean Expedition
  98. 98: In the Vaults
  99. 99: Mrs. Lovett Is Very Intractable Indeed
  100. 100: The Boat on the River
  101. 101: The Attempted Murder on the Thames
  102. 102: Johanna Has a Visitor While Todd Is Gone upon the River
  103. 103: The Cook Feels That All the World Neglects Him, and Then He Gets a Letter
  104. 104: Todd Takes His Last Walk Up Fleet Street and to Bell Yard
  105. 105: Todd Makes Himself Quite at Home in Bell-Yard
  106. 106: Takes a Slight Glance at Tobias and His Intended
  107. 107: Mr. Lupin Has a Singular Interview with Mrs. Oakley
  108. 108: Mrs. Oakley Sees a Strange Sight, and Thinks There Is No Place Like Home
  109. 109: Mrs. Oakley Escapes, and Takes a Different View of Things in General
  110. 110: Mr. Lupin Finds Himself in an Awkward Predicament
  111. 111: Mrs. Oakley Dissembles
  112. 112: Returns to Mrs. Lovett, and Shows How She Got Out of the River
  113. 113: Johanna Has Plenty of Company at Todd's
  114. 114: Todd's Hour Has Come
  115. 115: Mrs. Lovett Plans
  116. 116: Mrs. Lovett Finds That It Is Easier to Plan Than to Execute
  117. 117: The Route to Newgate--Mrs. Lovett's Danger from the Mob
  118. 118: The Cook Waits upon Sir Richard Blunt and Hears News
  119. 119: The Cook Becomes a Very Important Personage
  120. 120: Johanna Is Amply Paid for Her Brief Service at Todd's
  121. 121: Shows How Mrs. Oakley Reconciled Herself to Everybody at Home
  122. 122: Takes a Peep at Tobias at the Colonel's House
  123. 123: The Criminals in Newgate.--Todd's Attempt at Suicide
  124. 124: A Luncheon at Sir Richard Blunt's.--the Dog and His Old Friend
  125. 125: Todd Is Committed for Trial, and Expects the Worst
  126. 126: A Large Party Visits Big Ben and the Lions in the Tower
  127. 127: The Beasts at the Tower
  128. 128: Returns to Newgate, and the Proceedings of Mrs. Lovett
  129. 129: Mrs. Lovett Sees Some Twilight Spectres in Her Cell
  130. 130: Sweeney Todd Is Placed upon His Trial
  131. 131: The Trial of Sweeney Todd Continued
  132. 132: Todd's Trial Continues, and Goes All Against Him
  133. 133: The Trial of Sweeney Todd Continued
  134. 134: Todd Entertains Some Hopes of an Acquittal
  135. 135: Todd Makes an Attempt upon His Own Life
  136. 136: Todd Makes an Acquaintance in Newgate, and Tries an Escape
  137. 137: The Progress of the Operations to Escape from Newgate
  138. 138: The Escape, and the Retreat in Caen Wood, Hampstead
  139. 139: The Chase Through Smithfield, and the Murder
  140. 140: Todd and Lupin Escape to Caen Wood
  141. 141: The Murder at Caen Wood, Hampstead
  142. 142: Caen Wood and Hampstead in the Old Times
  143. 143: The Adventures in Caen Wood of the Two Murderers
  144. 144: Shows How the News of Todd's Escape Was Received by All Concerned
  145. 145: Shows How Todd Made Up His Mind to Vengeance
  146. 146: Returns to Todd in the Wood at Hampstead
  147. 147: Todd Takes a Look at His Old Quarters in Fleet Street
  148. 148: Todd Makes His Way into His Own House
  149. 149: Todd Has a Narrow Escape, and Has a Bit of Revenge
  150. 150: There Is a Fire in Fleet Street After All.--Todd Escapes
  151. 151: Sir Richard Blunt and Crotchet Commence Their Search for Todd
  152. 152: Shows How Todd Had a Very Narrow Escape Indeed
  153. 153: Todd Is in Great Peril in the Early Morning in London
  154. 154: Todd Sets Fire to His House, and Then Hides in the Church
  155. 155: Shifts the Scene to One of Quiet Goodness and Serenity
  156. 156: Todd Has Some Further Adventures in Fleet Street
  157. 157: Todd Astonishes the Beadle, and Escapes Prom St. Dunstan's
  158. 158: Details the Perilous Situation of the Beadle
  159. 159: Todd Gets the Better of the Sharpers, and Takes a Boat
  160. 160: Sir Richard Blunt Is Very Near Taking His Prisoner
  161. 161: Todd Finds That He Has Got Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
  162. 162: Todd's Fearful Adventures on the River
  163. 163: Todd Makes a Vigorous Attempt to Reach Gravesend
  164. 164: The Police-Galley on the Thames
  165. 165: The Police-Galley's Fate
  166. 166: Another Boat
  167. 167: Another Police-Galley
  168. 168: Todd Goes Back on Land
  169. 169: Todd Hides in a Cupboard
  170. 170: The Ship Bound for Havre Takes a Passenger
  171. 171: Todd Meets with a Little Rough Weather in the Channel
  172. 172: Todd Gets a World of Maritime Experience
  173. 173: Takes a Peep at Some Friends of the Reader
  174. 174: Mark Ingestrie Rescues a Shipwrecked Man
  175. 175: A Rather Important Discovery Is Made
  176. 176: The Pursuit of Todd on the London Road
  177. 177: The Conclusion