THE jailer had been outwitted by the priest.  Hawes had sneaked after Fry to beg him for Heaven’s sake—­that was the phrase he used—­not to produce his journal.  Fry thought this very hard, and it took Hawes ten minutes to coax him over.  Mr. Eden had calculated on this, and worked with the attested copy, while Hawes was wasting his time suppressing the original.  Hawes was too cunning to accompany Fry back to Mr. Lacy.  He allowed five minutes more to elapse—­all which time his antagonist was pumping truth into the judge a gallon a stroke.  At last up came Mr. Hawes to protect himself and baffle the parson.  He came, he met Mr. Lacy at the dead prisoner’s door, and read his defeat.

Mr. Lacy joined the justices in their room.  “I have one question to ask you, gentlemen, before I go:  How many attempts at suicide were made in this jail under Captain O’Connor while sole jailer?”

“I don’t remember,” replied Mr. Williams.

“It would be odd if you did, for no one such attempt took place under him.  Are you aware how many attempts at suicide took place during the two years that this Hawes governed a part of the jail, being kept in some little check by O’Connor, but not much, as unfortunately you encouraged the inferior officer to defy his superior?  Five attempts at suicide during this period, gentlemen.  And now do you know how many such attempts have occurred since Mr. Hawes has been sole jailer?”

“I really don’t know.  Prisoners are always shamming,” replied Mr. Woodcock.

“I do not allude to feigned attempts, of which there have been several, but to desperate attempts; some of which have left the prisoner insensible, some have resulted in his death—­how many of these?”

“Four or five, I believe.”

“Ah, you have not thought it worth while to inquire!!  Hum!—­well, fourteen, at least.  Come in, Mr. Eden.  Gentlemen, you have neglected your duty.  Making every allowance for your inexperience, it still is clear that you have undertaken the supervision of a jail and yet have exercised no actual supervision; even now the life or death of the prisoners seems to you a matter of indifference.  If you are reckless on such a point as this, what chance have the minor circumstances of their welfare of being watched by you? and frankly I am puzzled to conceive what you proposed to yourselves when you undertook an office so important and requiring so great vigilance.  I say this, gentlemen, merely to explain why I cannot have the pleasure I did promise myself of putting one of your names into the royal commission which will sit upon this prison in compliance with the chaplain’s petition.”