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sitting hard by; 〃your story is not likely to get into the newspapers; for; as 

you say; it is a private affair; which you had no need to speak of unless you 

thought   proper;   and      may   be   considered      as   a   confidential   conversation 

between   us   and   the   other   gentlemen   here。        But   if   it   COULD   be   made 

public; it might do some good; and warn people; if they WILL be warned; 

against     the  folly   of  such    enterprises    as   that  in  which     you   have    been 

engaged。       It is quite clear from your story; that you have been deceived as 

grossly as anyone of the persons present。                 But look you; sir; if you had 

not been so eager after gain; I think you would not have allowed yourself 



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to be deceived; and would have kept your relative's money; and inherited it; 

according to your story; one day or other。 Directly people expect to make a 

large interest; their judgment seems to desert them; and because they wish 

for profit; they think they are sure of it; and disregard all warnings and all 

prudence。 Besides the hundreds of honest families who have been ruined 

by    merely    placing    confidence     in  this  Association     of   yours;   and   who 

deserve the heartiest pity; there are hundreds more who have embarked in 

it; like yourself; not for investment; but for speculation; and these; upon 

my word; deserve the fate they have met with。                As long as dividends are 

paid; no questions are asked; and Mr。 Brough might have taken the money 

for   his   shareholders   on   the   high…road;   and   they  would   have   pocketed   it; 

and    not   been   too   curious。    But    what's   the  use   of  talking?〃    says   Mr。 

Commissioner; in a passion:           〃here is one rogue detected; and a thousand 

dupes   made;   and   if   another   swindler   starts   to…morrow;   there   will   be   a 

thousand   more   of   his   victims   round   this   table   a   year   hence;   and   so;   I 

suppose; to the end。        And now let's go to business; gentlemen; and excuse 

this sermon。〃 

     After   giving   an   account   of   all   I   knew;   which   was   very   little;   other 

gents who were employed in the concern were examined; and I went back 

to prison; with my poor little wife on my arm。                We had to pass through 

the crowd in the rooms; and my heart bled as I saw; amongst a score of 

others;  poor   Gates;  Brough's   porter;  who   had  advanced   every  shilling   to 

his master; and was now; with ten children; houseless and penniless in his 

old age。     Captain Sparr was in this neighbourhood; but by no means so 

friendly disposed; for while Gates touched his hat; as if I had been a lord; 

the   little   Captain   came   forward   threatening   with   his   bamboo…cane   and 

swearing with great oaths that I was an accomplice of Brough。                       〃Curse 

you for a smooth…faced scoundrel!〃 says he。               〃What business have you to 

ruin   an   English   gentleman;   as   you   have   me?〃     And   again   he   advanced 

with   his   stick。  But   this   time;   officer   as   he   was;   Gus   took   him   by   the 

collar; and shoved him back; and said; 〃Look at the lady; you brute; and 

hold your tongue!〃         And when he looked at my wife's situation; Captain 

Sparr became redder for shame than he had before been for anger。                       〃I'm 

sorry   she's   married   to   such   a   good…for…   nothing;〃   muttered   he;   and   fell 



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back;   and   my  poor   wife   and   I   walked   out   of   the   court;   and   back   to   our 

dismal room in the prison。 

     It was a hard place for a gentle creature like her to be confined in; and 

I longed to have some of my relatives with her when her time should come。 

But   her   grandmother   could   not   leave   the   old   lieutenant;   and   my   mother 

had written to say that; as Mrs。 Hoggarty was with us; she was quite  as 

well at home with her children。 〃What a blessing it is for you; under your 

misfortunes;〃 continued the good soul; 〃to have the generous purse of your 

aunt   for   succour!〃     Generous   purse   of   my   aunt;   indeed!      Where   could 

Mrs。 Hoggarty be?          It was evident that she had not written to any of her 

friends in the country; nor gone thither; as she threatened。 

     But    as  my    mother    had    already    lost  so  much     money     through    my 

unfortunate luck; and as she had enough to do with her little pittance to 

keep my sisters at home; and as; on hearing of my condition; she would 

infallibly have sold her last gown to bring me aid; Mary and I agreed that 

we   would   not   let   her   know   what   our   real   condition   wasbad   enough! 

Heaven knows; and sad and cheerless。 Old Lieutenant Smith had likewise 

nothing   but   his   half…pay   and   his   rheumatism;   so   we   were;   in   fact;   quite 

friendless。 

     That   period     of   my   life;   and   that   horrible   prison;   seem   to  me   like 

recollections of some fever。           What an awful place!not for the sadness; 

strangely enough; as I thought; but for the gaiety of it; for the long prison 

galleries were; I remember; full of life and a sort of grave bustle。                All day 

and all night doors were clapping to and fro; and you heard loud voices; 

oaths; footsteps; and laughter。 Next door to our room was one where a man 

sold gin; under the name of TAPE; and here; from morning till night; the 

people   kept   up   a   horrible   revelry;and   sangsad   songs   some   of   them: 

but my dear little girl was; thank God! unable to understand the most part 

of their ribaldry。      She never used to go out till nightfall; and all day she 

sat working at a little store of caps and dresses for the expected stranger 

and not; she says to this day; unhappy。            But the confinement sickened her; 

who   had   been   used   to   happy   country   air;   and   she   grew   daily   paler   and 

paler。 

     The   Fives   Court   was   opposite   our   window;   and   here   I   used;   very 



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unwillingly at first; but afterwards; I do confess; with much eagerness; to 

take a couple of hours' daily sport。           Ah! it was a strange place。           There 

was an aristocracy there as elsewhere; amongst other gents; a son of my 

Lord Deuce…ace; and many of the men in the prison were as eager to walk 

with   him;   and   talked   of   his   family   as   knowingly;   as   if   they   were   Bond 

Street bucks。      Poor Tidd; especially; was one of these。            Of all his fortune 

he had nothing left but a dressing…case and a flowered dressing…gown; and 

to these possessions he added a fine pair of moustaches; with which the 

poor creature strutted about; and though cursing his ill fortune; was; I do 

believe; as   happy whenever  his friends brought him  a guinea;  as he had 

been     during   his   brief  career   as  a   gentleman     on   town。    I   have   seen 

sauntering dandies in watering…places ogling the women; watching eagerly 

for   steamboats   and   stage…coaches   as   if   their   lives   depended   upon   them; 

and strutting all day in jackets up and down the public walks。                Well; there 

are   such   fellows   in   prison:  quite   as   dandified   and   foolish;   only  a   little 

more shabbydandies with dirty beards and holes at their elbows。 

     I did not go near what is called the poor side of the prisonI DARED 

not; that was the fact。      But our little stock of money was running low; and 

my heart sickened to think what might be my dear wife's fate; and on what 

sort of a couch our child might be born。 But Heaven spared me that pang;… 

…Heaven; and my dear good friend; Gus Hoskins。 

     The attorneys to whom Mr。 Smithers recommended me; told me that I 

could get leave to live in the rules of the Fleet; could I procure sureties to 

the marshal of the prison for the amount of the detainer lodged against me; 

but though I looked Mr。 Blatherwick hard in the face; he never offered to 

give the bail   for me; and   I knew  no housekeeper in   London who   would 

procure it。     There was; however; one whom I did not know;and that was 

old Mr。 Hoskins; the leatherseller of Skinner Street; a kind fat gentleman; 

who brought his fat wife to see Mrs。 Titmarsh; and though the lady gave 

herself   rather   patronising   airs   (her   husband   being   free   of   the   Skinners' 

Company; and bidding fair to be Alderman; nay; Lord Mayor of the first 

city   in   the   world);   she   seemed   heartily   to   sympathise   with   us;   and   her 

husband stirred and bustled about until the requisite leave was obtained; 

and I was allowed comparative liberty。 



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     As for lodgings; they were soon had。              My old landlady; Mrs。 Stokes; 

sent her Jemima to say that her first floor was at our service; and when we 

had taken possession of it; and I offered at the end of the week to pay her 

bill; the good soul; with tears in her eyes; told me that she did not want for 

money now; and that she knew I had enough to do with what I had。                       I did 

not refuse her kindness; for; indeed; I had but five guineas left; and ought 

not by rights to have thought of such expensive apartments as hers; but my 

wife's time  was   very  near; and   I  could no

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