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Chapter 6. The Father of the Marshalsea

           Ifanyimpostorhadarisentoclaimit,hewouldhaveshedtearsinresentmentoftheattempttodeprivehimofhisrights.Adispositionbegantobeperceivedinhimtoexaggeratethenumberofyearshehadbeenthere;itwasgenerallyunderstoodthatyoumustdeductafewfromhisaccount;hewasvain,thefleetinggenerationsofdebtorssaid.

           Allnew-comerswerepresentedtohim.Hewaspunctiliousintheexactionofthisceremony.Thewitswouldperformtheofficeofintroductionwithoverchargedpompandpoliteness,buttheycouldnoteasilyoverstephissenseofitsgravity.Hereceivedtheminhispoorroom(hedislikedanintroductioninthemereyard,asinformal—athingthatmighthappentoanybody),withakindofbowed-downbeneficence.TheywerewelcometotheMarshalsea,hewouldtellthem.Yes,hewastheFatheroftheplace.Sotheworldwaskindenoughtocallhim;andsohewas,ifmorethantwentyyearsofresidencegavehimaclaimtothetitle.Itlookedsmallatfirst,buttherewasverygoodcompanythere—amongamixture—necessarilyamixture—andverygoodair.

           Itbecameanotunusualcircumstanceforletterstobeputunderhisdooratnight,enclosinghalf-a-crown,twohalf-crowns,nowandthenatlongintervalsevenhalf-a-sovereign,fortheFatheroftheMarshalsea.‘Withthecomplimentsofacollegiantakingleave.’Hereceivedthegiftsastributes,fromadmirers,toapubliccharacter.

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