“A good many times, your reverence.”
“By the visiting justices?”
“No, sir! I was never punished by them, only by the governor.”
“What have been your offenses?”
“I don't know, sir. I never meant to offend at all, but I am not very strong, and the governor he puts me on a heavy crank and then I can't always do the work, and I suppose he thinks it is for want of the will, and so he gives it me.”
“How has he punished you?”
“Oh! sometimes it is clamming; nothing but a twopenny roll all day, and kept to hard work all the same; sometimes my bed taken away, you know, sir, but mostly the punishment jacket.”
Mr. Lacy. “The punishment jacket; what is that?”
Mr. Eden. “Look in the prison rules and see if you can find a punishment jacket; meantime come with me. Two gross violations of the law—repetition of punishment and variety of punishments. Evans, open this cell. What are you in for?”
Prisoner (taking off his cap politely). “Burglary, gentlemen.”