The Book in Brief
Sailor Thornhill visits Sweeney Todd's Fleet Street barber shop carrying a valuable string of pearls intended for Johanna Oakley from her missing lover, Mark Ingestrie. Thornhill disappears. Todd tries to sell the pearls, while Johanna, Colonel Jeffery, Tobias Ragg, and magistrate Sir Richard Blunt gradually connect the barber to a pattern of vanished customers.
Todd's chair drops victims into vaults linked to St. Dunstan's Church. Mrs. Lovett obtains the bodies through the underground passages and turns them into the meat used in her popular pies, while captive cooks are prevented from leaving the cellar. Todd has the suspicious Tobias committed to Fogg's madhouse, but the boy eventually escapes and recovers enough to testify.
Johanna disguises herself to enter Todd's shop, Mark is discovered alive after captivity in Mrs. Lovett's cellar, and investigators expose the vaults. Todd and Lovett are arrested. Lovett confesses and kills herself with concealed poison; the expanded edition then follows Todd's trial, escape from Newgate with Lupin, and long flight through Hampstead, Fleet Street, the Thames, and the Channel.
A shipwreck returns Todd to the orbit of Mark and his allies. Colonel Jeffery, Mark, and Sir Richard finally overtake him on the London road; Todd is shot and dies cursing his pursuers. Johanna and Mark marry, Tobias recovers and marries, and the survivors outlive the institutions and criminals that terrorized them.
Important Characters
Sweeney Todd: A Fleet Street barber who murders customers through a mechanical chair, steals their property, and repeatedly escapes capture.
Johanna Oakley: Mark Ingestrie's steadfast beloved, whose investigation and disguise make her an active opponent of Todd.
Mark Ingestrie: A missing sailor connected to the pearls and eventually recovered from the pie-shop operation.
Tobias Ragg: Todd's abused apprentice, institutionalized when his suspicions become dangerous and later crucial to the case.
Mrs. Lovett: The pie-shop owner who profits from Todd's victims and keeps cooks imprisoned in her underground workspace.
Colonel Jeffery: A loyal investigator who follows the disappearances and supports Johanna.
Sir Richard Blunt: The magistrate who turns the accumulating evidence into searches, arrests, and pursuit.
Mr. Fogg: The corrupt madhouse proprietor who confines Tobias on Todd's false claim.
Crotchet and Big Ben: Distinctive allies whose local knowledge and discoveries aid the investigation.
Lupin: A schemer whose alliance with Todd during the escape ends in betrayal and murder.
Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
The headings follow the physical reading order of the expanded 1850 edition and preserve each printed chapter number; because the printed Roman numerals repeat and skip values, reading units are numbered separately.
Reading Unit 1 · Printed Chapter I: The Strange Customer at Sweeney Todd's
Todd intimidates his apprentice Tobias and receives Thornhill, a sailor carrying pearls connected to the missing Mark Ingestrie.
Reading Unit 2 · Printed Chapter II: The Spectacle-Maker's Daughter
Johanna Oakley continues waiting for Mark while her household introduces the unwanted hopes of Sam Bolt and the pressures surrounding her future.
Reading Unit 3 · Printed Chapter III: A Man Is Lost
The narrative follows a man's disappearance and shifts suspicion toward the route that ends at Todd's Fleet Street shop.
Reading Unit 4 · Printed Chapter IV: The Pie-Shop, Bell-Yard
Mrs. Lovett's crowded pie shop is introduced alongside the hidden labor and confinement beneath its profitable counter.
Reading Unit 5 · Printed Chapter V: The Meeting in the Temple
Johanna meets an ally in the Temple and begins connecting Mark's absence with the more recent disappearance of Thornhill.
Reading Unit 6 · Printed Chapter VI: The Conference, and the Fearful Narration in the Garden
A private conference gives Johanna a frightening account of the known disappearances and strengthens the decision to investigate Todd.
Reading Unit 7 · Printed Chapter VII: The Barber and the Lapidary
Todd approaches a lapidary while trying to convert stolen valuables into money, exposing himself to questions about their origin.
Reading Unit 8 · Printed Chapter VIII: The Thieves' Home
Todd's dealings bring him into a thieves' refuge, where criminal company proves dangerous even to an experienced murderer.
Reading Unit 9 · Printed Chapter IX: Johanna at Home, and the Resolution
At home, Johanna refuses passive grief and resolves to pursue evidence about Mark and the pearls.
Reading Unit 10 · Printed Chapter X: The Colonel and His Friend
Colonel Jeffery consults a trusted friend, testing the emerging theory against the possibility that Todd may be innocent.
Reading Unit 11 · Printed Chapter XI: The Stranger at Lovett's
A starving stranger enters Mrs. Lovett's and accepts work connected to the underground kitchen, exchanging freedom for food and survival.
Reading Unit 12 · Printed Chapter XII: The Resolution Come to by Johanna Oakley
Johanna commits herself to a more active plan, accepting the danger required to investigate a shop closed to her ordinary identity.
Reading Unit 13 · Printed Chapter XIII: Johanna's Interview with Arabella Wilmot, and the Advice
Johanna confides in Arabella Wilmot and receives advice about secrecy, disguise, and the risks of confronting Todd.
Reading Unit 14 · Printed Chapter XIV: Tobias's Threat, and Its Consequences
Tobias threatens to expose what he suspects, and Todd responds by turning the boy's vulnerability against him.
Reading Unit 15 · Printed Chapter XV: The Second Interview Between Johanna and the Colonel in the Temple Gardens
Johanna meets Colonel Jeffery again in the Temple Gardens and aligns her personal search with his investigation.
Reading Unit 16 · Printed Chapter XVI: The Barber Makes Another Attempt to Sell the String of Pearls
Todd makes another effort to sell the pearls without revealing how they came into his possession.
Reading Unit 17 · Printed Chapter XIV: The Great Change in the Prospects of Sweeney Todd
A financial scheme appears to improve Todd's prospects, but his concern about Tobias immediately complicates the opportunity.
Reading Unit 18 · Printed Chapter XV: Tobias's Adventures During the Absence of Sweeney Todd
While Todd is away, Tobias uses the absence to investigate and confirm that his master's secrets are more serious than petty theft.
Reading Unit 19 · Printed Chapter XVI: The Strange Odour in Old St. Dunstan's Church
An unbearable smell spreads through St. Dunstan's, giving the church authorities physical evidence of corruption beneath the building.
Reading Unit 20 · Printed Chapter XVII: Sweeney Todd's Proceedings Consequent upon the Departure of Tobias
Todd discovers Tobias has left his post and begins hunting the apprentice before the boy can tell anyone what he knows.
Reading Unit 21 · Printed Chapter XVIII: The Misadventure of Tobias. — The Mad-House on Peckham-Rye
Todd captures Tobias and pays to have him confined as insane at Mr. Fogg's establishment on Peckham Rye.
Reading Unit 22 · Printed Chapter XIX: The Madhouse Cell
Tobias wakes inside a madhouse cell and understands that Todd intends false imprisonment to become either silence or death.
Reading Unit 23 · Printed Chapter XX: The New Cook to Mrs. Lovett Gets Tired of His Situation
Mrs. Lovett's captive cook grows tired of the underground job and begins imagining resistance despite the machinery controlling him.
Reading Unit 24 · Printed Chapter XXI: The Night at the Madhouse
Night at the madhouse reveals both Tobias's desperation and the casual cruelty with which Fogg's staff treat people placed in their power.
Reading Unit 25 · Printed Chapter XXII: Mr. Fogg's Story at the Madhouse to Sweeney Todd
Fogg tells Todd enough of the institution's history and methods to show how readily confinement can be purchased and concealed.
Reading Unit 26 · Printed Chapter XXIV: Colonel Jeffery Makes Another Effort to Come at Sweeney Todd's Secret
Colonel Jeffery renews his effort to penetrate Todd's secret while avoiding the barber's trap.
Reading Unit 27 · Printed Chapter XXV: Tobias Makes an Attempt to Escape from the Madhouse
Tobias attempts to escape and begs his keepers to recognize that his account of Todd is evidence, not madness.
Reading Unit 28 · Printed Chapter XXVI: The Madhouse Yard, and Tobias's New Friend
In the yard Tobias finds another prisoner and turns accumulated terror into a violent attempt to resist the institution.
Reading Unit 29 · Printed Chapter XXVII: The Consultation of Colonel Jeffery with the Magistrate
Colonel Jeffery consults a magistrate, moving the inquiry from private suspicion toward lawful surveillance and search.
Reading Unit 30 · Printed Chapter XXVIII: Tobias's Escape from Mr. Fogg's Establishment
Tobias exploits confusion at Fogg's establishment and escapes the place designed to erase his credibility.
Reading Unit 31 · Printed Chapter XXIX: Tobias's Rapid Journey to London
The freed boy races toward London, determined to warn the investigators before Todd can recover control of the story.
Reading Unit 32 · Printed Chapter XXX: Mrs. Lovett's Cook Makes a Desperate Attempt
Mrs. Lovett's cook makes a desperate attempt to escape the cellar and refuses to accept indefinite captivity.
Reading Unit 33 · Printed Chapter XXXI: Shows How Tobias Got to London
Tobias reaches London but collapses under the physical and mental effects of pursuit, confinement, and fear.
Reading Unit 34 · Printed Chapter XXII: Tobias Has a Mind Diseased
Placed under kinder care, Tobias remains mentally disordered while Colonel Jeffery and Sir Richard recognize the value of what he may remember.
Reading Unit 35 · Printed Chapter XXXIII: Johanna Walks Abroad in Disguise
Johanna goes into the city disguised, beginning the practical experiment that will bring her closer to Todd's shop.
Reading Unit 36 · Printed Chapter XXXIV: Mr. Fogg Finds That All Is Not Gold That Glitters
Fogg discovers that appearances and promised rewards have deceived him, weakening Todd's institutional protection.
Reading Unit 37 · Printed Chapter XXXV: Mrs. Lovett's New Lover
Mrs. Lovett attracts the attention of a new admirer whose interest becomes another source of leverage and danger.
Reading Unit 38 · Printed Chapter XXXVI: Tobias's Mother Awakens Old Recollections
Tobias's mother revisits earlier events and supplies memories that clarify how long Todd's influence has shaped the boy's life.
Reading Unit 39 · Printed Chapter XXXVII: The Search at Todd's
Investigators search Todd's premises but find that the visible shop conceals rather than explains the disappearances.
Reading Unit 40 · Printed Chapter XXXVIII: Sir Richard Pries into Todd's Secrets
Sir Richard probes Todd's habits and property, looking for the practical mechanism behind the suspected crimes.
Reading Unit 41 · Printed Chapter XXXIX: The Mysterious Cupboard
Attention settles on a mysterious cupboard whose ordinary appearance masks access to Todd's concealed spaces.
Reading Unit 42 · Printed Chapter XL: Crotchet Astonishes Mr. Todd
Crotchet surprises Todd and disrupts the barber's confidence with unexpected knowledge and persistence.
Reading Unit 43 · Printed Chapter XLI: Todd's Vision
Todd experiences a vision shaped by guilt and fear, revealing how thoroughly the investigation has entered his imagination.
Reading Unit 44 · Printed Chapter XLII: The Great Sacrifice
One character accepts a costly sacrifice in order to protect others and keep the inquiry alive.
Reading Unit 45 · Printed Chapter XLIII: An Old Acquaintance
An old acquaintance returns to the serial and brings past connections into the present investigation.
Reading Unit 46 · Printed Chapter XLIV: Todd and the Silversmith
Todd deals with a silversmith, again trying to turn stolen property into usable wealth without exposing its history.
Reading Unit 47 · Printed Chapter XLV: Johanna's New Situation
Johanna enters a new situation created by her disguise and begins observing Todd from dangerously close range.
Reading Unit 48 · Printed Chapter XLVI: Tobias's Heart Is Touched
Tobias responds emotionally to the loyalty shown around him, and humane care begins reversing Todd's damage.
Reading Unit 49 · Printed Chapter XLVII: Tobias Recovers His Intellect
Tobias recovers enough clarity to distinguish memory from terror and to become a credible source again.
Reading Unit 50 · Printed Chapter XLVIII: Johanna Makes a New Confidant
Johanna chooses a new confidant and shares information necessary to coordinate the investigation from inside Todd's reach.
Reading Unit 51 · Printed Chapter XLIX: The Vaults of St. Dunstan's
The inquiry turns directly toward the vaults beneath St. Dunstan's, where smell, passage, and disappearance converge.
Reading Unit 52 · Printed Chapter L: The Descent to the Vaults
Investigators descend into the vault system and test the physical connection between church, barber shop, and pie shop.
Reading Unit 53 · Printed Chapter LI: Johanna Rushes to Her Destiny
Johanna rushes toward danger as her undercover role and the underground search begin to overlap.
Reading Unit 54 · Printed Chapter LII: Todd's Announcement
Todd makes an announcement that signals a change of plan and raises the urgency for everyone watching him.
Reading Unit 55 · Printed Chapter LIII: The Murder of the Usurer
Todd murders a usurer, adding another stolen fortune and another body to the evidence accumulating against him.
Reading Unit 56 · Printed Chapter LIV: Sir Richard Blunt's Progress
Sir Richard continues assembling witnesses, locations, and physical clues into a case strong enough to act upon.
Reading Unit 57 · Printed Chapter LV: Mrs. Lovett's Walk
Mrs. Lovett leaves the security of her shop, exposing her to observation and to consequences beyond the cellar.
Reading Unit 58 · Printed Chapter LVI: Tobias Unbosoms Himself
Tobias finally tells his story in fuller form, giving the investigators an inside account of Todd's threats and habits.
Reading Unit 59 · Printed Chapter LVII: Sir Richard Blunt's Adventures Continued
Sir Richard's next moves bring official authority closer to the hidden route without yet alerting every conspirator.
Reading Unit 60 · Printed Chapter LVII: Big Ben Makes a Discovery
Big Ben makes a discovery that confirms part of the investigators' theory and changes the practical search.
Reading Unit 61 · Printed Chapter LVIII: The Grand Consultation in the Temple
The allies gather in the Temple to compare discoveries and decide how to protect witnesses while reaching the vaults.
Reading Unit 62 · Printed Chapter LIX: The Proposal of Arabella
Arabella proposes a bolder course, turning friendship with Johanna into active participation in the rescue effort.
Reading Unit 63 · Printed Chapter LX: Todd Finds a Boy
Todd acquires another boy for the shop, attempting to replace Tobias while preserving the same structure of intimidation.
Reading Unit 64 · Printed Chapter LXI: Todd Receives Some Startling Intelligence
Startling intelligence reaches Todd and forces him to recognize that his secrets are no longer contained.
Reading Unit 65 · Printed Chapter LXII: Todd Clears Off Circumstances
Todd clears away evidence and loose circumstances, preparing to leave before the investigation can close around him.
Reading Unit 66 · Printed Chapter LXIII: Johanna Starts for Todd's
Johanna starts for Todd's shop, knowingly moving toward the place where missing men and stolen property converge.
Reading Unit 67 · Printed Chapter LXIV: Todd Commences Packing up
Todd begins packing, converting the barber shop from a permanent criminal base into a position he may abandon.
Reading Unit 68 · Printed Chapter LXV: A Moonlight Visit to St. Dunstan's Vaults
A moonlight visit carries the investigators deeper into St. Dunstan's vaults and nearer the route used for the bodies.
Reading Unit 69 · Printed Chapter LXVI: The Cook's Visitors
Visitors reach the captive cook and create the first real prospect that the pie-shop cellar can be exposed from within.
Reading Unit 70 · Printed Chapter LXVII: The Revelations in the Vaults
The vault exploration reveals the scale and mechanics of the conspiracy linking Todd's chair to Mrs. Lovett's business.
Reading Unit 71 · Printed Chapter LXVIII: Returns to Johanna
The narrative returns to Johanna as her disguise and proximity to Todd create a new stage of immediate danger.
Reading Unit 72 · Printed Chapter LXIX: Takes a Peep at Arabella
Arabella's parallel actions preserve communication and support outside the barber shop.
Reading Unit 73 · Printed Chapter LXX: Returns to Johanna
Johanna's plot advances again, with each observation increasing both the evidence and the risk of recognition.
Reading Unit 74 · Printed Chapter LXXI: The Mysterious Letter
A mysterious letter changes what the investigators or conspirators believe and redirects the next movement.
Reading Unit 75 · Printed Chapter LXXII: Another Victim
Todd claims another victim, showing that the pressure around him has not ended his appetite for murder.
Reading Unit 76 · Printed Chapter LXXIII: Startling Events
A cluster of sudden developments accelerates the exposure of the underground operation.
Reading Unit 77 · Printed Chapter LXXIV: Big Ben Creates a Sensation
Big Ben creates a public sensation that makes secrecy harder for Todd and Mrs. Lovett to maintain.
Reading Unit 78 · Printed Chapter LXXV: Colonel Jeffery Opens His Eyes
Colonel Jeffery finally sees enough of the pattern to understand the real relationship among the disappearances.
Reading Unit 79 · Printed Chapter LXXVI: Arabella and the Colonel
Arabella and the Colonel compare their positions, bringing the personal and official sides of the rescue together.
Reading Unit 80 · Printed Chapter LXXVII: Mrs. Lovett Visits the Bank
Mrs. Lovett visits the bank and tries to secure the profits of the conspiracy before they can be seized.
Reading Unit 81 · Printed Chapter LXXVIII: Mutual Defiance
Todd and Lovett meet pressure with mutual defiance, but their alliance is increasingly shaped by distrust.
Reading Unit 82 · Printed Chapter LXXIX: Mrs. Lovett Finds That in This World There Is Retribution
Mrs. Lovett encounters retribution as the money and control she depended upon fail to protect her.
Reading Unit 83 · Printed Chapter LXXX: Todd Takes a Journey to the Temple
Todd goes to the Temple, carrying his counterattack into the investigators' own territory.
Reading Unit 84 · Printed Chapter LXXXI: Johanna Is Encouraged
Johanna receives encouragement that Mark may still be found and that her dangerous disguise has not been wasted.
Reading Unit 85 · Printed Chapter LXXXII: Todd Plans
Todd forms a new plan for survival, evidence removal, or revenge as the legal threat closes in.
Reading Unit 86 · Printed Chapter LXXXII: Todd Visits the Colonel
Todd visits Colonel Jeffery, turning concealed hostility into a direct contest of nerve and information.
Reading Unit 87 · Printed Chapter LXXXIII: Tobias in Jeopardy
Tobias is placed in jeopardy again because his recovered testimony can now materially damage Todd.
Reading Unit 88 · Printed Chapter LXXXIV: Todd's Wonderful Escape
Todd makes an extraordinary escape from a danger that appears ready to end his freedom.
Reading Unit 89 · Printed Chapter LXXXV: Sir Richard Makes Plans
Sir Richard answers the setback with new plans designed to limit Todd's routes and protect the witnesses.
Reading Unit 90 · Printed Chapter LXXXVI: Todd Receives Two Extraordinary Letters, and Acts upon Them
Two unusual letters reach Todd, and he acts on them rather than wait for the authorities' next move.
Reading Unit 91 · Printed Chapter LXXXVII: Mr. Lupin Meddles with Other Folks' Affairs
Lupin interferes in other people's business and becomes entangled with the main criminals and investigators.
Reading Unit 92 · Printed Chapter LXXXVIII: Todd Astonishes Mrs. Lovett's Spy
Todd surprises a spy working for Mrs. Lovett, demonstrating that the conspirators no longer trust one another.
Reading Unit 93 · Printed Chapter LXXXIX: Mr. Oakley Is in Despair at the Loss of Johanna
Mr. Oakley despairs over Johanna's disappearance because her undercover work has removed her from ordinary family protection.
Reading Unit 94 · Printed Chapter XC: Morning in Fleet Street Again
Morning returns to Fleet Street with the shop under pressure but still outwardly open for trade.
Reading Unit 95 · Printed Chapter XCI: Mr. Todd's First Customers
Todd receives his first customers of the day and attempts to perform normal business while danger gathers around him.
Reading Unit 96 · Printed Chapter XCII: Mr. Oakley's Anxieties Much Diminish
Information reduces Mr. Oakley's anxiety and brings Johanna's family closer to understanding her plan.
Reading Unit 97 · Printed Chapter XCIII: Sir Richard Blunt's Subterranean Expedition
Sir Richard begins a formal subterranean expedition through the passages that conceal Todd's victims.
Reading Unit 98 · Printed Chapter XCIV: In the Vaults
Inside the vaults, the searchers confront physical proof of the crimes and the geography that made them possible.
Reading Unit 99 · Printed Chapter XCV: Mrs. Lovett Is Very Intractable Indeed
Mrs. Lovett refuses cooperation even as the evidence and official pressure make denial increasingly untenable.
Reading Unit 100 · Printed Chapter XCVI: The Boat on the River
A boat on the river becomes the setting for flight, surveillance, and an attempt to control a dangerous witness.
Reading Unit 101 · Printed Chapter XCVII: The Attempted Murder on the Thames
An attempted murder on the Thames carries the conspirators' violence beyond Fleet Street and Bell Yard.
Reading Unit 102 · Printed Chapter XCVIII: Johanna Has a Visitor While Todd Is Gone upon the River
While Todd is on the river, Johanna receives a visitor at the shop and gains a temporary opening in his absence.
Reading Unit 103 · Printed Chapter XCIX: The Cook Feels That All the World Neglects Him, and Then He Gets a Letter
The captive cook believes himself forgotten until a letter changes his expectations and connects him with rescue.
Reading Unit 104 · Printed Chapter C: Todd Takes His Last Walk up Fleet Street and to Bell Yard
Todd makes what proves to be his last ordinary walk from Fleet Street to Mrs. Lovett's Bell Yard shop.
Reading Unit 105 · Printed Chapter CI: Todd Makes Himself Quite at Home in Bell-Yard
At Bell Yard, Todd behaves as if he controls the pie shop, but his presence intensifies Lovett's fear and resistance.
Reading Unit 106 · Printed Chapter CII: Takes a Slight Glance at Tobias and His Intended
The narrative briefly checks on Tobias and the young woman he hopes to marry, showing recovery outside Todd's shadow.
Reading Unit 107 · Printed Chapter CIII: Mr. Lupin Has a Singular Interview with Mrs. Oakley
Lupin has a singular interview with Mrs. Oakley and tries to manipulate the family's confusion for his own purposes.
Reading Unit 108 · Printed Chapter CIV: Mrs. Oakley Sees a Strange Sight, and Thinks There Is No Place Like Home
Mrs. Oakley sees something alarming and abruptly recognizes the value of returning to the safety of home.
Reading Unit 109 · Printed Chapter CV: Mrs. Oakley Escapes, and Takes a Different View of Things in General
Mrs. Oakley escapes the situation and revises her earlier assumptions about the people around Johanna.
Reading Unit 110 · Printed Chapter CVI: Mr. Lupin Finds Himself in an Awkward Predicament
Lupin discovers that his meddling has placed him in an awkward predicament from which wit may not be enough.
Reading Unit 111 · Printed Chapter CVII: Mrs. Oakley Dissembles
Mrs. Oakley conceals what she knows, using dissimulation to protect herself and the larger investigation.
Reading Unit 112 · Printed Chapter CVIII: Returns to Mrs. Lovett, and Shows How She Got Out of the River
The narrative returns to Mrs. Lovett and explains how she survived her danger on the river.
Reading Unit 113 · Printed Chapter CIX: Johanna Has Plenty of Company at Todd's
Johanna receives abundant company at Todd's shop as the separate lines of inquiry finally converge on Fleet Street.
Reading Unit 114 · Printed Chapter CX: Todd's Hour Has Come
Todd's hour arrives: accumulated testimony, searches, and witnesses at last deprive him of ordinary escape.
Reading Unit 115 · Printed Chapter CXI: Mrs. Lovett Plans
Mrs. Lovett responds to the collapse by planning how to save herself rather than remain loyal to Todd.
Reading Unit 116 · Printed Chapter CXII: Mrs. Lovett Finds That It Is Easier to Plan Than to Execute
Lovett learns that forming an escape plan is easier than carrying it out under official control.
Reading Unit 117 · Printed Chapter CXIII: The Route to Newgate — Mrs. Lovett's Danger from the Mob
On the route to Newgate, a hostile crowd creates a new danger for Lovett outside the protections of legal custody.
Reading Unit 118 · Printed Chapter CXIV: The Cook Waits upon Sir Richard Blunt and Hears News
The former cook visits Sir Richard, tells what happened in the cellar, and hears how far the case has advanced.
Reading Unit 119 · Printed Chapter CXV: The Cook Becomes a Very Important Personage
The cook becomes an important witness because his direct knowledge ties the hidden kitchen to the larger murder operation.
Reading Unit 120 · Printed Chapter CXVI: Johanna Is Amply Paid for Her Brief Service at Todd's
Johanna is rewarded for her short, dangerous service inside Todd's shop and can return to life beyond the disguise.
Reading Unit 121 · Printed Chapter CXVII: Shows How Mrs. Oakley Reconciled Herself to Everybody at Home
Mrs. Oakley reconciles herself with the household after secrecy and misunderstanding give way to explanation.
Reading Unit 122 · Printed Chapter CXVIII: Takes a Peep at Tobias at the Colonel's House
At Colonel Jeffery's house, Tobias's recovery and future receive attention apart from his usefulness as a witness.
Reading Unit 123 · Printed Chapter CXIX: The Criminals in Newgate. — Todd's Attempt at Suicide
In Newgate, Todd attempts suicide while both principal criminals confront the prospect of formal judgment.
Reading Unit 124 · Printed Chapter CXX: A Luncheon at Sir Richard Blunt's. — The Dog and His Old Friend
A luncheon at Sir Richard's brings survivors together, and a dog recognizes an old friend from before the disappearances.
Reading Unit 125 · Printed Chapter CXXI: Todd Is Committed for Trial, and Expects the Worst
Todd is committed for trial and openly expects that the evidence will lead to the worst possible sentence.
Reading Unit 126 · Printed Chapter CXXII: A Large Party Visits Big Ben and the Lions in the Tower
A large party visits Big Ben and the Tower lions, providing a temporary comic excursion after the first legal victory.
Reading Unit 127 · Printed Chapter CXXIII: The Beasts at the Tower
The Tower animals create danger and spectacle, echoing the novel's recurring contrast between captivity and appetite.
Reading Unit 128 · Printed Chapter CXXIV: Returns to Newgate, and the Proceedings of Mrs. Lovett
Back in Newgate, Mrs. Lovett makes a full confession implicating herself and Todd, then reveals in private that she intends to die before trial.
Reading Unit 129 · Printed Chapter CXXV: Mrs. Lovett Sees Some Twilight Spectres in Her Cell
Using poison concealed in her dress, Lovett kills herself in her cell; Todd learns of her death when he is brought into court.
Reading Unit 130 · Printed Chapter CXXVI: Sweeney Todd Is Placed upon His Trial
Todd is placed on trial and the prosecution begins translating the serial's mysteries into public evidence.
Reading Unit 131 · Printed Chapter CXXVII: The Trial of Sweeney Todd Continued
Witnesses and circumstances continue to build the case, forcing Todd to listen to the history he tried to erase.
Reading Unit 132 · Printed Chapter CXXVIII: Todd's Trial Continues, and Goes All Against Him
The trial moves steadily against Todd as physical proof and survivor testimony reinforce one another.
Reading Unit 133 · Printed Chapter CXXIX: The Trial of Sweeney Todd Continued
Further evidence extends the prosecution and narrows the explanations Todd can plausibly offer.
Reading Unit 134 · Printed Chapter CXXX: Todd Entertains Some Hopes of an Acquittal
Todd briefly hopes for acquittal, seizing on uncertainty despite the cumulative weight of the case.
Reading Unit 135 · Printed Chapter CXXXI: Todd Makes an Attempt upon His Own Life
When hope weakens, Todd again attempts to take his own life rather than submit to sentence.
Reading Unit 136 · Printed Chapter CXXXII: Todd Makes an Acquaintance in Newgate, and Tries an Escape
Todd meets another prisoner in Newgate and turns the acquaintance into the beginning of an escape plan.
Reading Unit 137 · Printed Chapter CXXXIII: The Progress of the Operations to Escape from Newgate
The prisoners advance their operations through the structure of Newgate while trying to avoid guards and discovery.
Reading Unit 138 · Printed Chapter CXXXIV: The Escape, and the Retreat in Caen Wood, Hampstead
Todd escapes and retreats to Caen Wood at Hampstead, exchanging legal custody for the precarious life of a hunted fugitive.
Reading Unit 139 · Printed Chapter CXXXV: The Chase Through Smithfield, and the Murder
The chase crosses Smithfield and includes another murder, showing that escape immediately produces fresh violence.
Reading Unit 140 · Printed Chapter CXXXVI: Todd and Lupin Escape to Caen Wood
Todd and Lupin reach Caen Wood together, temporarily joined by mutual need rather than trust.
Reading Unit 141 · Printed Chapter CXXXVII: The Murder at Caen Wood, Hampstead
In Caen Wood, Todd murders Lupin and removes an ally who had become a liability and possible betrayer.
Reading Unit 142 · Printed Chapter CXXXVIII: Caen Wood and Hampstead in the Old Times
A pause describes Caen Wood and old Hampstead, locating the fugitive episode within a landscape soon altered by pursuit.
Reading Unit 143 · Printed Chapter CXXXIX: The Adventures in Caen Wood of the Two Murderers
Todd hides among the trees, measures his dwindling options, and recognizes that daylight and expanding search make delay dangerous.
Reading Unit 144 · Printed Chapter CXL: Shows How the News of Todd's Escape Was Received by All Concerned
London's investigators and survivors learn of Todd's escape and react with alarm, practical planning, and renewed vigilance.
Reading Unit 145 · Printed Chapter CXLI: Shows How Todd Made up His Mind to Vengeance
Todd turns his fear into a plan for vengeance, while Sir Richard warns the people most exposed to his return.
Reading Unit 146 · Printed Chapter CXLII: Returns to Todd in the Wood at Hampstead
The narrative returns to Todd in the wood as he decides when and how to reenter the city.
Reading Unit 147 · Printed Chapter CXLIII: Todd Takes a Look at His Old Quarters in Fleet Street
Todd reaches Fleet Street and studies his former quarters, risking recognition for access to familiar hiding places.
Reading Unit 148 · Printed Chapter CXLIV: Todd Makes His Way into His Own House
Using the church and hidden route, Todd makes his way into his own house despite the search around it.
Reading Unit 149 · Printed Chapter CXLV: Todd Has a Narrow Escape, and Has a Bit of Revenge
Todd narrowly avoids capture and takes a measure of revenge against men occupying his old rooms.
Reading Unit 150 · Printed Chapter CXLVI: There Is a Fire in Fleet Street after All. — Todd Escapes
Fire breaks out in Fleet Street as Todd escapes immediate discovery and the barber shop begins to destroy its remaining secrets.
Reading Unit 151 · Printed Chapter CXLVII: Sir Richard Blunt and Crotchet Commence Their Search for Todd
Sir Richard and Crotchet start tracing Todd through the burned premises and the marks left by his movement.
Reading Unit 152 · Printed Chapter CXLVIII: Shows How Todd Had a Very Narrow Escape Indeed
Todd avoids capture at very close range, surviving through concealment, timing, and the investigators' incomplete view.
Reading Unit 153 · Printed Chapter CXLIX: Todd Is in Great Peril in the Early Morning in London
Early-morning London places Todd in acute peril as traffic, witnesses, and police reduce the cover available to him.
Reading Unit 154 · Printed Chapter CL: Todd Sets Fire to His House, and Then Hides in the Church
Todd sets fire to his house and hides in St. Dunstan's, using destruction and sacred space as temporary protection.
Reading Unit 155 · Printed Chapter CLI: Shifts the Scene to One of Quiet Goodness and Serenity
The scene shifts to the Ingestries and their friends at Brighton, contrasting Todd's flight with a household of recovery and trust.
Reading Unit 156 · Printed Chapter CLII: Todd Has Some Further Adventures in Fleet Street
Still near Fleet Street, Todd searches for another exit while the church and burned house become increasingly unsafe.
Reading Unit 157 · Printed Chapter CLIII: Todd Astonishes the Beadle, and Escapes Prom St. Dunstan's
Todd terrifies the beadle, escapes from St. Dunstan's, and leaves the church official trapped in the danger meant for him.
Reading Unit 158 · Printed Chapter CLIV: Details the Perilous Situation of the Beadle
The beadle's peril continues while Todd exploits confusion outside the church to obtain food, cover, and movement.
Reading Unit 159 · Printed Chapter CLV: Todd Gets the Better of the Sharpers, and Takes a Boat
Todd outmaneuvers a pair of sharpers and takes a boat, preferring the river to the increasingly watched streets.
Reading Unit 160 · Printed Chapter CLVI: Sir Richard Blunt Is Very Near Taking His Prisoner
Sir Richard comes close to finding Todd, whose chosen refuge repeatedly brings him near people connected to the case.
Reading Unit 161 · Printed Chapter CLVII: Todd Finds That He Has Got Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
Todd realizes that his hiding place has put him inside a household linked to Sir Richard, turning shelter into another trap.
Reading Unit 162 · Printed Chapter CLVIII: Todd's Fearful Adventures on the River
Todd escapes toward the river and enters a sequence of dangerous crossings, threats, and improvised disguises.
Reading Unit 163 · Printed Chapter CLIX: Todd Makes a Vigorous Attempt to Reach Gravesend
He makes a determined attempt to reach Gravesend before the pursuing authorities can control the downstream route.
Reading Unit 164 · Printed Chapter CLX: The Police-Galley on the Thames
A police galley appears on the Thames and begins closing the distance with Todd's smaller craft.
Reading Unit 165 · Printed Chapter CLXI: The Police-Galley's Fate
Todd's evasive action contributes to the police galley's disaster, and he again treats other people's deaths as the price of survival.
Reading Unit 166 · Printed Chapter CLXII: Another Boat
Another boat offers temporary escape, but Todd must control or intimidate the people carrying him.
Reading Unit 167 · Printed Chapter CLXIII: Another Police-Galley
A second police galley resumes the chase, using sail and rowers to gain on Todd along the river.
Reading Unit 168 · Printed Chapter CLXIV: Todd Goes Back on Land
Todd returns to land and uses a child as leverage while trying to force concealment from a terrified household.
Reading Unit 169 · Printed Chapter CLXV: Todd Hides in a Cupboard
He hides in a cupboard until the immediate search passes, reducing the once-powerful murderer to cramped, passive concealment.
Reading Unit 170 · Printed Chapter CLXVI: The Ship Bound for Havre Takes a Passenger
Todd secures passage aboard a ship bound for Havre and believes the Channel may finally place him beyond English pursuit.
Reading Unit 171 · Printed Chapter CLXVII: Todd Meets with a Little Rough Weather in the Channel
Rough weather turns the voyage into physical misery and makes the ship itself another unstable prison.
Reading Unit 172 · Printed Chapter CLXVIII: Todd Gets a World of Maritime Experience
The storm worsens, the vessel approaches wreck, and Todd receives more maritime experience than his escape plan anticipated.
Reading Unit 173 · Printed Chapter CLXIX: Takes a Peep at Some Friends of the Reader
The serial returns to friends at Brighton as they watch the endangered ship drift toward the coast.
Reading Unit 174 · Printed Chapter CLXX: Mark Ingestrie Rescues a Shipwrecked Man
Mark Ingestrie helps rescue a shipwrecked man, unknowingly bringing Todd back into the survivors' immediate reach.
Reading Unit 175 · Printed Chapter CLXXI: A Rather Important Discovery Is Made
The rescued man's identity is discovered, and the household moves quickly from astonishment to pursuit.
Reading Unit 176 · Printed Chapter CLXXII: The Pursuit of Todd on the London Road
Colonel Jeffery, Mark, and Sir Richard close on Todd along the London road; officers shoot him after he breaks through their line.
Reading Unit 177 · Printed Chapter CLXXIII: The Conclusion
The conclusion records Todd's burial, the survivors' marriages and later happiness, Tobias's recovery, and the destruction of Fogg's madhouse.
Ending Explained
How does Todd die?: After surviving prison, fire, river pursuit, storm, and shipwreck, he is recognized on the London road and shot while trying to break through the officers.
What becomes of Mrs. Lovett?: In Newgate she makes a full confession, then uses poison hidden in her dress to kill herself before trial.
Why is the ending so long?: This 1850 expansion turns the original mystery into a fugitive serial, repeatedly postponing capture through cliffhangers.
What happens to the survivors?: Johanna and Mark, Colonel Jeffery and Arabella, and Tobias and his beloved receive domestic futures that reverse Todd's destruction of households.
Themes and Motifs
Predatory commerce: The barber shop and pie shop convert trust, bodies, and appetite into profit.
Institutional corruption: The madhouse and prison can be manipulated by criminals even as legal investigators slowly close in.
Disguise and hidden space: Clothing, false identities, cupboards, vaults, cellars, and mechanisms drive both detection and escape.
Serial suspense: Alternating plots and delayed revelations keep danger alive across an unusually long chapter sequence.
Retribution: Todd's late flight repeatedly places him inside versions of the traps he built for other people.
Content Notes
Includes graphic murder, cannibalism, confinement, abuse of a child apprentice, corrupt psychiatric imprisonment, suicide attempts, mob violence, fire, drowning, animal danger, and period slurs and stereotypes.
About the Book
Best for: readers who like Victorian penny dreadfuls, serial cliffhangers, and urban crime machinery. Narrative shape: 177 printed chapter sections in the expanded 1850 edition — the mystery resolves midway, then becomes a long fugitive chase. Central contrast: respectable Fleet Street commerce versus the industrial murder hidden beneath it. Overall assessment: 4/5 for atmosphere, audacity, and sheer momentum despite serial repetition. Source-checked scope: 177 distinct reading units in Project Gutenberg eBook #59828; no front matter was counted as narrative content.
Primary text: James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, The String of Pearls, Project Gutenberg eBook #59828. The complete text contains 177 physical chapter sections whose printed numbering repeats and skips values. The review, plot account, ending analysis, and every structural recap in this guide were checked against that edition.
Selection evidence: Project Gutenberg Top 100 EBooks in the last 30 days — rank #16 with 101,976 downloads in the August 3, 2026 snapshot. Books already completed in the preceding batches were excluded.