“Mr. Hawes,” replied the chaplain, “I have never done or said anything in the prison to lessen your authority, but privately I must remonstrate against the uncommon severities practiced upon prisoners in this jail. If you will listen to me I shall be much obliged to you—if not, I am afraid I must, as a matter of conscience, call the attention of the visiting justices to the question.”
“Well, parson, the justices will be in the jail to-day—you tell them your story and I will tell them mine,” said Hawes, with a cool air of defiance.
Sure enough, at five o'clock in the afternoon two of the visiting justices arrived, accompanied by Mr. Wright, a young magistrate. They were met at the door by Hawes, who wore a look of delight at their appearance. They went round the prison with him, while he detained them in the center of the building till he had sent Hodges secretly to undo Josephs and set him on the crank; and here the party found him at work.
“You have been a long time on the crank, my lad,” said Hawes, “you may go to your cell.”
Josephs touched his cap to the governor and the gentlemen and went off.
“That is a nice quiet-looking boy,” said one of the justices; “what is he in for?”
“He is in this time for stealing a piece of beef out of a butcher's shop.”
“This time! what! is he a hardened offender? he does not look it.”
“He has been three times in prison; once for throwing stones, once for orchard-robbing, and this time for the beef.”
“What a young villain! at his age—-”