He looked up and smiled vacuously. 'You will find my brother, sir, on Change, I believe.'
'Yes, Sir. I would speak to you of Matthew.'
'He is in the counting-house, or perhaps on board one of the ships. Or on the Quay.'
I turned to the daughters. 'I see that he understands nothing.'
'No. He eats and sleeps. He talks nonsense. It is no use speaking to him. You have seen us in our shame and misery. Give us your news and go.'
'It is about Matthew.'
'Matthew? Where is he? We heard he had escaped.'
'You do not know? Matthew has been in this prison for some weeks.'
'Here? In this prison? And we have not see him?'
'He has been on the Common side; on the Poor side. Perhaps that is the reason; perhaps he did not know that.