The English State has had many opportunities of gauging the average intellects of its unpaid jurists.  By these it has profited so well that it intrusts blindly to this gentleman and his brethren the following commission:—­

They are to come into a place of darkness and mystery, a place locked up; a place which, by the folly of the nation and the shallow egotists who are its placemen and are called its statesmen, is not subject to the only safeguard of law and morals—­daily inspection by the great unprejudiced public.  They are to come into this, the one pitch-dark hole that is now left in the land.  They are to come here once in two months, and at this visit to see all that has been done there in the dark since their last visit.  Their eagle eye is not to be hoodwinked by appearances got up to meet their visit.  They are to come and comprehend with one piercing glance the past months as well as the present hour.  Good.  Only for this task is required, not the gullibility that characterizes the many, but the sagacity that distinguishes the few.

Mr. Woodcock undertook not to be deceived as to what had been done in the jail while he was forty miles distant—­and Hawes gulled him under his own eyes.

What different men there are in the world, and how differently are the same things seen by them!  The first crucifixion Eden saw he turned as sick as a dog—­the first crucifixion Woodcock saw he twaddled in the crucified’s ear, left him on the cross, and went on his way well pleased.

Hawes, finding what sort of a man he had to deal with, thought within himself, “Why should I compromise discipline in any point?” He said to Mr. Woodcock, “There is another prisoner whom I am afraid I must give an hour in the dark cell.”

“What has he been doing?”

“Scribbling a lot of lies upon some paper he got from the chaplain.”

Mr. Hawes’s brief and unkind definition of autobiography did Robinson’s business.  Mr. Woodcock simply observed that the proposed punishment was by no means a severe one for the offense.

They visited several cells.  Woodcock addressed the prisoners in certain words, accompanied with certain tones and looks, that were at least as significant as his words, and struck the prisoners as more sincere.

The words.

“If you have anything to complain of here, now is the time to say so, and your complaint shall be sifted.”

The tones and looks.

“I know you are better off here than such scum as you deserve, but you have a right to contradict me if you like; only mind, if you don’t prove it to my satisfaction, who am not the man to believe anything you say, you had better have held your tongue.”

Meantime Mr. Hawes said nothing, but fixed his eye on the rogue, and that eye said, “One word of discontent and the moment he is gone I massacre you.”  Then followed in every case the old theatrical business according to each rogue’s measure of ability.  They were in the Elysian fields; one thing alone saddened them; some day or other they must return to the world.