It Is Never Too Late to Mend — Chapter XXIV, part 1
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE justices went through their business in the usual routine.
They had Mr. Hawes's book up--examined the entries--received them with implicit confidence looked for no other source of information to compare them with.
Examined one witness and did not cross-examine him.
This done, one of them proposed to concoct their report at once.
Another suggested that the materials were not complete; that there was a charge against the chaplain.
This should be looked into, and should it prove grave, embodied in their report.
Mr. Williams overruled this.
“We can reprimand, or if need be the bench can dismiss a chaplain without troubling the Secretaries of State.
Let us make our report and then look into the chaplain's conduct, who is, after all, a newcomer, and they say a little cracked; he is a man of learning.
” So they wrote their report, and in it expressed their conviction that the system on the whole worked admirably.
They noticed the incident of Josephs' suicide, but attached no significance and little importance to it.
Out of a hundred and eighty prisoners there would be a few succumb in one way or another under the system, but on the whole the system worked well.
Jugger system's wheels were well greased, and so long as they were well greased it did not matter their crushing one or two.
Besides the crushed were only prisoners--the refuse of society.
They reported the governor, Mr. Hawes, as a painstaking, active, zealous officer; and now Mr. Hawes was called in--the report was read to him--and he bowed, laid his hand upon his aorta, and presented a histrionic picture of modest merit surprised by unexpected praise from a high quarter.
Next, Mr. Hawes was requested to see the report sent off to the post.
“I will, gentlemen;” and in five minutes he was at the post-office in person, and his praises on the way to his sovereign or her representative.
“How long will the parson take us?
” “Oh!
not ten minutes.
” “I hope not, for I want to look at a horse.
” “We had better send for him at once, then.
” The bell was rung and the chaplain sent for.
The chaplain was praying the prayers for the sick by the side of a dying prisoner.
He sent back word how he was employed, and that he would come as soon as he had done.
This message was not well received.
Keep a living justice waiting for a dying dog!
“These puppies want taking down,” said Mr. Woodcock.
“Oh, leave him to me,” replied Mr. Williams.
Soon after this the following puppy came into the room.
A gentleman of commanding figure, erect but easy, with a head of remarkable symmetry and an eye like a stag's. He entered the room quietly but rather quickly, and with an air of business; bowed rapidly to the three gentlemen in turn, and waited in silence their commands.
Then Mr. Williams drew himself up in his chair, and wore the solemn and dignified appearance that becomes a judge trying a prisoner, with this difference, that his manner was not harsh or intentionally offensive, but just such as to reveal his vast superiority and irresistible weight.
In a solemn tone, with a touch of pity, he began thus: “I am sorry to say, Mr. Eden, that grave charges are laid against you in the prison.
” “Give yourself no uneasiness on my account, sir,” replied Mr. Eden politely, “they are perhaps false.
” “Yet they come from one who has means of knowing--from the governor, Mr. Hawes.
” “Ah!
then they are sure to be false.
” “We shall see.
Four Sundays ago you preached a sermon.
” “Two.
” “Ay, but one was against cruelty.
” “It was; the other handled theft.
” “Mr. Hawes conceives himself to have been singled out and exposed by that sermon.
” “Why so?
there are more than thirty cruel men in this jail besides him.
” “Then this sermon was not aimed at him?
” put Mr. Williams with a pinning air.
“It was and it was not.
It was aimed at that class of my parishioners to which he belongs; a large class, including all the turnkeys but one, between twenty and thirty of the greater criminals among the prisoners--and Mr. Hawes.
” Mr. Williams bit his lip.
“Gentlemen, this classification shows the animus;” then turning to Mr. Eden he said, with a half-incredulous sneer, “How comes it that Mr. Hawes took this sermon all to himself?
” Mr. Eden smiled.
“How does it happen that two prisoners, 82 and 87, took it all to themselves?
These two men sent for me after the sermon; they were wife-beaters.
I found them both in great agitation.
One terrified, the other softened to tears of penitence.
These did not apply my words to Mr. Hawes.
The truth is when a searching sermon is preached each sinner takes it to himself.
I am glad Mr. Hawes fitted the cap on.
I am glad the prisoners fitted the cap on.
I am sorry Mr. Hawes was irritated instead of reformed.
I am glad those two less hardened sinners were reformed instead of irritated.
” “And I must tell you, sir, that we disapprove of your style of preaching altogether, and we shall do more, we shall make a change in this respect the condition of your remaining in office.
” “And the bishop of the diocese?
” asked Mr. Eden.
“What about him?
” “Do you think he will allow you, an ignorant, inexperienced layman, to usurp the episcopal function in his diocese.
” “The episcopal function?
Mr. Eden.
” Mr. Eden smiled.
“He does not even see that he has been trying to usurp sacred functions and of the highest order.
But it is all of a piece--a profound ignorance of all law, civil or ecclesiastical, characterizes all your acts in this jail.
My good soul, just ask yourself for what purpose does a bishop exist?
Why is one priest raised above other priests, and consecrated bishop, but to enable the Church to govern its servants.
I laugh--but I ought rather to rebuke you.
What you have attempted is something worse than childish arrogance.
Be warned!
and touch not the sacred vessels so rashly--it is profanation.
” The flashing eye and the deepening voice, and the old awful ecclesiastical superiority suddenly thundering upon them quite cowed the two smaller magistrates.
Williams, whose pomposity the priest had so rudely shaken, gasped for breath with rage.
Magisterial arrogance was not prepared for ecclesiastical arrogance, and the blow was stunning.
“Gentlemen, I wish to consult you.
Be pleased to retire for a minute, sir.
” A discussion took place in the chaplain's absence.
Williams was for dismissing him on the spot, but the others who were cooler would not hear of it.
“We have made a false move,” said they, “and he saw our mistake and made the most of it.
Never mind!
we shall catch him on other ground.
” During this discussion Mr. Eden had not been idle; he went into Robinson's empty cell and coolly placed there another inkstand, pen and quire in the place of those Hawes had removed.
Then glancing at his watch he ran hastily out of the jail.
Opposite the gate he found four men waiting; they were there by appointment.
“Giles,” said he to one, “I think a gentleman will come down by the next train.
Go to the station and hire Jenkyns's fly with the gray horse.
Let no one have it who is not coming on to the jail.
You two stay by the printing-press and loom till further orders.
Jackson, you keep in the way, too.
My servant will bring you your dinner at two o'clock.
” He then ran back to the justices.
They were waiting for him.
Mr. Williams began with a cutting coldness.
“We did not wish to go to the length of laying a complaint against you before the bishop, but if you really prefer this to a friendly remonstrance--” “I prefer the right thing to the wrong thing,” was the prompt and calm rejoinder.
“The complaint shall be made.
” Mr. Eden bowed and his eyes twinkled.
He pictured to himself this pompous personage writing to the Bishop of ---- to tell him that he objected to Mr. Eden's preaching; not that he had ever heard it; but that in attacking a great human vice it had hit a jailer.
“The next I think we can deal with.
Mr. Hawes complains that you constantly interfere between him and the prisoners, and undermine his authority.
” “I support him in all his legal acts, but I do oppose his illegal ones.
” “Your whole aim is to subvert the discipline of the jail.
” “On the contrary, I assure you I am the only officer of the jail who maintains the discipline as by law established.
” “Am I to understand that you give Mr. Hawes the lie?
” “You shall phrase my contradiction according to your own taste, sir.
” “And which do you think is likeliest to be believed?
” “Mr. Hawes by you gentlemen; Mr. Eden by the rest of the nation.
” Here Mr. Palmer put in his word.
“I don't think we ought to pay less respect to one man's bare assertion than to another's. It is a case for proof.
” “Well, but, Palmer,” replied Woodcock, “how can the jail go on with these two at daggers drawn?
” “It cannot,” said Mr. Eden.
“Ah, you can see that.
” “A house divided against itself!
” suggested Mr. Eden.
“Well, then,” said Mr. Woodcock, “let us try and give a more friendly tone to this discussion.
” “Why not?
--our weapons would bear polishing.
” “Yes; you have a high reputation, Mr. Eden, both for learning and Christian feeling; in fact, the general consideration in which you are held has made us more lenient in this case than we should have been with another man in your office.
” “There you are all wrong.
” “You can't mean that; make us some return for this feeling.
You know and feel the value of peace and unity?
” “I do.
” “Then be the man to restore them to this place.
” “I will try.
” “The governor and you cannot pull together--one must go.
” “Clearly.
” “Well, then, no stigma shall rest on you--you will be allowed to offer us your voluntary resignation.
” “Excuse me, I propose to arrive at peace and unity by another route.
” “But I see no other.
” “If I turn Mr. Hawes out it will come to the same thing, will it not?
” “Mr. Hawes?
” “Mr. Hawes.
” “But you can't turn him out, sir,” sneered Williams.
“I think I can.
” “He has our confidence and our respect, and shall have our protection.
” “Still I will turn him out with God's help.
” “This is a defiance, Mr. Eden.
” “You cannot really think me capable of defying three justices of the peace!
” said Mr. Eden in a solemn tone, his eyes twinkling.
“Defiance!
no,” said Mr. Palmer innocently.
“Well, but, Palmer, his opposition to Mr. Hawes is opposition to us, and is so bitter that it leaves us no alternative.
We must propose to the bench to remove you from your office.
” Mr. Eden bowed.
“And meantime,” put in Mr. Williams, “we shall probably suspend you this very day by our authority.
” Mr. Eden bowed.
“We will not detain you any longer, sir,” said Williams, rather insolently.
“I will but stay to say one word to this gentleman, who has conducted himself with courtesy toward me.
Sir, for your own sake do not enter on this contest with me; it is an unequal one.
A boy has just been murdered in this prison.
I am about to drag his murderer into the light; why hang upon his skirts and compel me to expose you to public horror as his abettor?
There is yet time to disown the fell practices of--hell!
” He looked at his watch.
“There is half an hour.
Do not waste it in acts which our superiors will undo.
See here are the prison rules; a child could understand them.
A child could see that what you call 'the discipline' is a pure invention of the present jailer, and contradicts the discipline as by law established, and consequently that Josephs and others have been murdered by this lawless man.
These are the prison rules, are they not?
and here are the jailer's proceedings in the month of January--compare the two, and separate your honorable name from the contact of this caitiff, whose crimes will gibbet him in the nation's eyes, and you with him, unless you seize this chance and withdraw your countenance from him.
” The three injustices rose by one impulse.
“Make your preparations to leave the jail,” said Mr. Woodcock.
“Half an hour is quite enough under the circumstances,” said Williams.
Palmer stood aghast--his mind was not fast enough to keep up.
Mr. Eden bowed and retired.
He was scarcely out of the room when the justices drew up an order for his suspension from his office.
Mr. Hawes was next sent for.
“We have found the chaplain all you described him.
Discipline is impossible with such a man; here is an order for his suspension.
” Hawes's eyes sparkled.
“We will enter it into the book, meantime you are to see it executed.
” Hawes went out, but presently returned.
“He won't go, gentlemen.
” “What do you mean by he won't go?
” said Williams.
“I told him your orders; and he said, 'Tell their worships they are exceeding their authority, and I won't go.'
Then I said, 'They give you half an hour to pack up and then you must pack off.'
” “He!
he!
he!
and what did he say?
” “'Oh, they give me half an hour, do they?'
says he--'you take them this'--and he wrote this on a slip of paper--here it is.
” The slip contained these words-- [Greek letters] While the justices were puzzling over this, Hawes added, “Gentlemen, he said in his polite way, 'If it is like the prison rules and beats their comprehension, you may tell them it means-- “'There is many a slip 'Twixt the cup and the lip.'
” “Well, Mr. Hawes--what next?
” “'I am victualed for a siege,' says he, and he goes into his own room, and I heard him shoot the bolt.
” “What does that mean?
” inquired Mr. Palmer.
“It means, sir, that you won't get him out except by kicking him out.
” Hawes had been irritating their wounded vanity in order to get them up to this mark.
“Then turn him out by force,” said Williams.
But the other two were wiser.
“No, we must not do that--we can keep him out if once he crosses the door.
” “I will manage it for you, gentlemen,” said Mr. Hawes.
“Do.
” Mr. Hawes went out and primed Fry with a message to Mr. Eden that a gentleman had ridden over from Oxford to see him, and was at his house.
Mr. Eden was in his room busy collecting and arranging several papers.
He had just tied them up in a little portfolio when he heard Fry's voice at the door.
When that worthy delivered his message his lip curled with scorn.
But he said, “Very well.
” I will disappoint the sly boobies, thought he.
But the next moment, looking out of his window, he saw a fly with a gray horse coming along the road.
“At last,” he cried, and instantly unbolted his door, and issued forth with his little portfolio under his arm.
He had scarce taken ten steps when a turnkey popped out from a corner and stood sentinel over his room-door, barring all return.
Mr. Eden smiled and passed on along the corridor.
He descended from the first floor to the basement.
Here he found Hawes affecting business, but not skillfully enough to hide that he was watching Mr. Eden out.
In the yard leading to the great door he found the injustices.
Aha!
thought he--waiting to see me out.
He raised his hat politely.
Williams took no notice.
The others slight.
“There is many a slip 'Twixt the cup and the lip,” said he to them, looking them calmly over, then sauntered toward the gate.
Mr. Hawes came creeping after and joined the injustices; every eye furtively watched the parson whom they had outwitted.
Fry himself had gone to the lodge to let him out and keep him out.
He was but a few steps from the door.
Hawes chuckled; his heart beat with exultation.
A
nether moment and that huge barrier would be interposed forever between him and his enemy, the prisoners' friend.
“Open the door, Mr. Fry,” said the chaplain.
Fry pulled it quickly open.
“And let that gentleman in!
” A middle-aged gentleman was paying off his fly.
The door being thus thrown open he walked quickly into the jail as if it belonged to him.
“Who is this?
” inquired Mr. Williams sharply.
The newcomer inquired as sharply, “The governor of this jail?
” Mr. Hawes stepped forward: “I am the governor.
” The newcomer handed him his card and a note.
“Mr. Lacy from the Home Office,” said Mr. Hawes to the injustices.
“These, sir, are the visiting justices.
” Mr. Lacy bowed, but addressed himself to Mr. Hawes only.
“Grave charges have been made against you, sir.
I am here to see whether matters are such as to call for a closer investigation.
” “May I ask, sir, who makes the charges against me?
” “The chaplain of your own jail.
” “But he is my enemy, sir, my personal enemy.
” “Don't distress yourself.
No public man is safe from detraction.
We hear an excellent account of you from every quarter but this one.
My visit will probably turn to your advantage.
” Hawes brightened.
“Is there any room in which I could conduct this inquiry?
” “Will you be pleased to come to the justices' room?
” “Yes.
Let us go there at once.
Gentlemen, you shall be present if you choose.
” “It is right you should know the chaplain is cracked,” said Mr. Williams.
“I should not wonder.
Pray,” inquired Mr. Lacy, “who was that bilious-looking character near the gate when I came in?
” “Why, that was the chaplain.
” “I thought so!
I dare say we shall find he has taken a jaundiced view of things.
Send for him, if you please, and let us get through the business as quickly as we can.
” When Mr. Eden came he found Mr. Lacy chatting pleasantly with his four adversaries.
On his entrance the gentleman's countenance fell a little, and Mr. Eden had the pleasure of seeing that this man, too, was prejudiced against him.
“Mr. --Mr. --?
” “Eden.
” “Mr. Eden, be seated, if you please.
You appear to be ill, sir?
” “I am recovering from a mortal sickness.
” “The jaundice, eh?
” “Something of that nature.
” “A horrible complaint.
” Mr. Eden bowed.
“I have had some experience of it.
Are you aware of its effect on the mind?
” “I feel its effect on the temper and the nerves.
” “Deeper than that, sir--it colors the judgment.
Makes us look at everything on the dark side.
” Mr. Eden sighed: “I see what you are driving at; but you confound effect with cause.
” Mr. Lacy shrugged his shoulders, opened his portfolio, and examined a paper or two.
“Mr. Hawes, you served her majesty in another way before you came here?
” “Five and twenty years, sir, man and boy.
” “And I think with credit?
” “My will has been good to do my duty, whatever my abilities may be.
” “I believe you distinguished yourself at sea in a storm in the West Indies?
” Mr. Williams put in warmly, “He went out to a vessel in distress in a hurricane at Jamaica.
” “It was off the Mauritius,” observed Mr. Eden with a gleam of satisfaction.
“Well,” said Mr. Lacy, “he saved other lives at the risk of his own, no matter where.
Pray, Mr. Eden, does your reading and experience lead you to believe that a brave man is ever a cruel one?
” “Yes.
” “There is a proverb that the cruel are always cowards.
” “Cant!
seven out of twelve are cowards and five brave.
” “I don't agree with you.
The presumption is all on Mr. Hawes's side.
” “And only the facts on mine.
” Mr. Lacy smiled superciliously.
“To the facts let us go, then.
You received a note from the Home Office this morning.
In compliance with that note have you prepared your case?
” “Yes.
