“Whatever it is, the justices have seen and approved it.  Haven’t they, Fry?”

“That they have, sir; scores of times.”

“Then may Heaven forgive them and direct me.”  And the chaplain entered the cell despondently, and bent his pitying eye steadily on the thief, who seemed to him at the moment a better companion than the three honest but cruel men.

He waited there very, very sorrowful and thoughtful for more than half an hour.  Then Hawes, who left the yard as soon as he had conquered his opponent, sent in Evans with an order to take Robinson to his dormitory.

The chaplain saw the man taken down from the wall, and that done went hastily to his own house; there, the contest being over, he was seized with a violent sickness and trembling.  To see a fellow-creature suffer and not be able to relieve him was death to this man.  He was game to the last drop of his blood so long as there was any good to be done, but action ended, a reaction came, in which he was all pity and sorrow and distress because of a fellow-creature’s distress.  No one that saw his firmness in the torture-cell would have guessed how weak he was within, and how stoutly his great heart had to battle against a sensitive nature and nerves tuned too high.

He gave half an hour to the weakness of nature, and then he was all duty once more.

He went first into Robinson’s cell.  He found him worse than ever:  despair as well as hatred gleamed in his eye.

“My poor fellow, is there no way for you to avoid these dreadful punishments?”

No answer.

It is to be observed, though, that Robinson had no idea how far the chaplain had carried his remonstrance against his torture; that remonstrance had been uttered privately to the turnkeys and the governor.  Besides, the man was half stupefied when the chaplain first came there.  And now he was in such pain and despair.  He was like the genii confined in the chest and thrown into the water by Soliman.  Had this good friend come to him at first starting, he would have thrown himself into his arms; but it came too late now.  He hated all mankind.  He had lost all belief in genuine kindness.  Like Orlando,

         He thought that all things had been savage here.

The chaplain, on the other hand, began to think that Robinson was a downright brute, and one on whom kindness was and would be wasted.  Still, true to his nature, he admitted no small pique.  He reasoned gently and kindly with him—­very kindly.

“My poor soul,” said he, “have you so many friends in this hard place that you can afford to repulse one who desires to be your friend and to do you good?” No answer.  “Well, then, if you will not let me comfort you, at least you cannot prevent my praying for you, for you are on the road to despair and will take no help.”

So, then, this good creature did actually kneel upon the hard stones of the cell and offer a prayer—­a very short but earnest one.