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Chapter 6. The Father of the Marshalsea

           

           Thedoctorandthedebtorrandown-stairs,leavingtheturnkeytoreturntothelock,andmadeforthedebtor’sroom.Alltheladiesintheprisonhadgotholdofthenews,andwereintheyard.Someofthemhadalreadytakenpossessionofthetwochildren,andwerehospitablycarryingthemoff;otherswereofferingloansoflittlecomfortsfromtheirownscantystore;othersweresympathisingwiththegreatestvolubility.Thegentlemenprisoners,feelingthemselvesatadisadvantage,hadforthemostpartretired,nottosaysneaked,totheirrooms;fromtheopenwindowsofwhichsomeofthemnowcomplimentedthedoctorwithwhistlesashepassedbelow,whileothers,withseveralstoriesbetweenthem,interchangedsarcasticreferencestotheprevalentexcitement.

           Itwasahotsummerday,andtheprisonroomswerebakingbetweenthehighwalls.Inthedebtor’sconfinedchamber,MrsBangham,charwomanandmessenger,whowasnotaprisoner(thoughshehadbeenonce),butwasthepopularmediumofcommunicationwiththeouterworld,hadvolunteeredherservicesasfly-catcherandgeneralattendant.Thewallsandceilingwereblackenedwithflies.MrsBangham,expertinsuddendevice,withonehandfannedthepatientwithacabbageleaf,andwiththeothersettrapsofvinegarandsugaringallipots;atthesametimeenunciatingsentimentsofanencouragingandcongratulatorynature,adaptedtotheoccasion.

           ‘Thefliestroubleyou,don’tthey,mydear?’saidMrsBangham.‘Butp’rapsthey’lltakeyourmindoffofit,anddoyougood.

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