"Your character? What do you mean?" "In the first interview with which you favoured me, I ventured to observe that it would be my endeavour, during my sojourn within these walls, to act upon the advice the magistrate tendered me." "What"--the governor rather faltered--"what advice was that?" "He said I claimed to be a magician. He advised me, for my character's sake, to prove it during my sojourn here." "I see. And--and you're trying to prove it--for your character's sake?" "For my character's sake! I am but beginning, you perceive." "Oh, you're but beginning! You call this but beginning, do you? May I ask if you have any intention of going on?" "Oh, sir, I have still nearly the whole three months in front of me! Until my term expires I shall go on, with gathering strength, unto the end." As he said this Mankell drew himself up in such a way that it almost seemed as though some inches were added to his stature. "You will, will you? Well, you seem to be a pleasant kind of man!" The criticism seemed to have been extracted from the governor almost against his will. He looked round upon his colleagues with what could only be described as a ghastly grin. "Have you any objection, Mankell, to being transferred to another prison?" "Sir!" the prisoner's voice rang out, and his hearers started--perceptibly. Perhaps that was because their nerves were already so disorganised. "It is here I was sent, it is here I must remain--until the end." The governor took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. "I am bound to tell you, Mankell, judging from the experiences of the last two days, if this sort of thing is to continue--with gathering strength!--the end will not be long." The prisoner seemed lost in reflection. The officials seemed lost in reflection too; but their reflections were probably of a different kind. "There is one suggestion I might offer." "Let's have it by all means. We have reached a point at which we shall be glad to receive any suggestion--from you." "You might give me a testimonial." "Give you what?" "You might give me a testimonial." The governor looked at the prisoner, then at his friends. "A testimonial! Might we indeed! What sort of testimonial do you allude to?" "You might testify that I had regained my reputation, redeemed my character--that I had proved to your entire satisfaction that I was the magician I claimed to be." The governor leaned back in his seat. "Your suggestion has at least the force of novelty. I should like to search the registers of remarkable cases, to know if such an application has ever been made to the governor of an English jail before. What do you say, Hardinge?" The Major shuffled in his chair. "I--I think I must return to town." The prisoner smiled. The Major winced. "That--that fellow's pinned me to my chair," he gasped. He appeared to be making futile efforts to rise from his seat. "You cannot return to town. Dismiss the idea from your mind."