The turnkeys, a little staggered by his firmness, began to confer in whispers. The chaplain, who was one of your decided men, could not wait the consultation. He sprang to Robinson's head and began to undo the collar. The others, seeing this decided move, came and helped him. The collar and the strap being loosed, the thief's body, ensacked as it was, fell helplessly forward. He had fainted during the discussion; in fact, his senses were shut when the chaplain first came to the cell. The chaplain caught him, and being a very strong man, saved him from a dangerous fall and seated him gently with his back to the wall. Water was sprinkled in his face. The chaplain went hastily to find the governor. He came to him pale and out of breath. “I found the turnkeys outraging a prisoner.” “Indeed!” said the governor. It was a new idea to him that anything could be an outrage on a prisoner. “They confessed they had not your authority, so I took upon me to undo their act.” “Humph!” “I now leave the matter in your hands, sir.” “I will see into it, sir.” The chaplain left Mr. Hawes abruptly, for he was seized with a sudden languor and nausea; he went to his own house and there he was violently sick. Shaking off as quickly as he could this weakness, he went at once to Robinson's cell. He found him coiled up like a snake. He came hastily into the cell with the natural effusion of a man who had taken another man's part. “I want to ask you one question: What had you done that they should use you like that?” No answer. “It is not from idle curiosity I ask you, but that I may be able to advise you, or intercede for you if the punishment should appear too severe for the offense.” No answer. “Come, I would wait here ever so long upon the chance of your speaking to me if you were the only prisoner, but there are others in their solitude longing for me; time is precious; will you speak to one who desires to be your friend?” No answer. A flush of impatience and anger crossed the chaplain's brow. In most men it would have found vent in words. This man but turned away to hide it from its object. He gulped his brief ire down and said only, “So then I am never to be any use to you,” and went sorrowfully away. Robinson coiled himself up a little tighter, and hugged his hatred of all mankind closer, like a treasure that some one had just tried to do him out of. As the chaplain came out of his cell he was met by Hawes, whose countenance wore a gloomy expression that soon found its way into words. “The chaplain is not allowed to interfere between me and the prisoners in this jail.” “Explain, Mr. Hawes.” “You have been and ordered my turnkeys to relax punishment.” “You forget, Mr. Hawes, I explained to you that they were acting without the requisite authority from you.” “That is all right, and I have called them to account, but then you are not to order them either; you should have applied to me.”