[The Duchess of Mint]

Dear Sweeney Todd Fans,

I have a majorly obvious question about Mrs. Lovett and the local Butcher/ Meat Supplier.

(SPOILER WARNING!)


We all know that Mrs. Lovett complains to Sweeney Todd about "the price of meat," and that she is then able to sell PLENTY of pies, and to wear fancy clothes, because of the fact that she's selling Sweeney's victims in pie form.

My question is this: The local Butcher/ Meat Supplier knew that Mrs. Lovett couldn't afford very much of the meat from his shop, but, since he's a local shopkeeper, he's probably keeping tabs on his buyers, so wouldn't he become suspicious about Mrs. Lovett when she stops coming to his shop (or when she comes to his shop less and less often), because her pie meat is coming so plentifully from Todd's upstairs shop?

Would the Butcher just figure that Mrs. Lovett's business has failed, and that that's her sad affair? Wouldn't he WANT her business (that is, wouldn't he want her to patronize his shop, just as she wants her customers to keep coming to her shop)?

I know that Mrs. Lovett has resorted to "finding poor animals what are dying in the street," but wouldn't she at least visit the local Butcher once in awhile?

I can't remember if anyone outside of the Todd/Lovett/Toby circle becomes suspicious of what's going on in the two-story Fleet Street building until the very end of the musical...

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[ConverseSneaker]

Well, he might just suppose she decided to buy meat from someone else.

[postmodern-mango-salsa]

if times are as hard as she says they were, chances are he retired...

you just earned yourself 2 cents : )