Mr. Eden.  “You must not take that tone with the gentleman, Evans—­this is not a queen’s prisoner, it is a private guest of Mr. Hawes.  But time flies.  If after what we have heard and seen, you still doubt whether this jailer has broken the law by punishing the same prisoner more than once and in more ways than one, fresh evidence will meet you at every step; but I would now direct your principal attention to other points.  Look at Rule 37.  By this rule each prisoner must be visited and conversed with by four officers every day, and they are to stay with him upon the aggregate half an hour in the day.  Now the object of this rule is to save the prisoners from dying under the natural and inevitable operation of solitude and enforced silence, two things that are fatal to life and reason.”

“But solitary confinement is legal.”

Mr. Eden sighed heavily.  “No it is not.  Separate confinement, i.e., separation of prisoner from prisoner, is legal, but separation of a prisoner from the human race is as illegal as any other mode of homicide.  It never was legal in England; it was legal for a short time in the United States, and do you know why it has been made illegal there?”

“No, I do not.”

“Because they found that life and reason went out under it like the snuff of a candle.  Men went mad and died, as men have gone mad and died here through the habitual breach of Rule 37, a rule the aim of which is to guard separate confinement from being shuffled into solitary confinement or homicide.  Take twenty cells at random, and ask the prisoners how many officers come and say good words to them as bound by law; ask them whether they get their half hour per diem of improving conversation.  There is a row of shambles, go into them by yourself, take neither the head butcher nor me.”

Mr. Lacy bit his lip, bowed stiffly, and beckoned Evans to accompany him into the cells.  Mr. Hawes went in search of Fry, to concert what was best to be done.  Mr. Eden paced the corridor.  As for Mr. Lacy, he took the cells at random, skipping here and there.  At last he returned and sent for Mr. Hawes.

“I am sorry to say that the 37th Rule has been habitually violated; the prisoners are unanimous; they tell me that so far from half an hour’s conversation, they never have three minutes, except with the chaplain.  And during his late illness they were often in perfect solitude.  They tell me, too, that when you do look in it is only to terrify them with angry words and threats.  Solitude broken only by harsh language is a very sad condition for a human creature to lie in—­the law, it seems, does not sanction it—­and our own imperfections should plead against such terrible severity applied indiscriminately to great and small offenders.”

“Oh, that is well said, that is nobly said,” cried Mr. Eden with enthusiasm.

“Sir!  I was put in here to carry out the discipline which had been relaxed by the late governor, and I have but obeyed orders as it was my duty.”