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FAGIN‘SLASTNIGHTALIVE
Thecourtwaspaved,fromfloortoroof,withhumanfaces。Inquisitiveandeagereyespeeredfromeveryinchofspace。Fromtherailbeforethedock,awayintothesharpestangleofthesmallestcornerinthegalleries,alllookswerefixedupononeman--Fagin。Beforehimandbehind:above,below,ontherightandontheleft:heseemedtostandsurroundedbyafirmament,allbrightwithgleamingeyes。
Hestoodthere,inallthisglareoflivinglight,withonehandrestingonthewoodenslabbeforehim,theotherheldtohisear,andhisheadthrustforwardtoenablehimtocatchwithgreaterdistinctnesseverywordthatfellfromthepresidingjudge,whowasdeliveringhischargetothejury。Attimes,heturnedhiseyessharplyuponthemtoobservetheeffectoftheslightestfeatherweightinhisfavour;andwhenthepointsagainsthimwerestatedwithterribledistinctness,lookedtowardshiscounsel,inmuteappealthathewould,eventhen,urgesomethinginhisbehalf。Beyondthesemanifestationsofanxiety,hestirrednothandorfoot。Hehadscarcelymovedsincethetrialbegan;andnowthatthejudgeceasedtospeak,hestillremainedinthesamestrainedattitudeofcloseattention,withhisgazebentonhim,asthoughhelistenedstill。
Aslightbustleinthecourt,recalledhimtohimself。Lookinground,hesawthatthejurymanhadturnedtogether,toconsidertheirverdict。Ashiseyeswanderedtothegallery,hecouldseethepeoplerisingaboveeachothertoseehisface:somehastilyapplyingtheirglassestotheireyes:andotherswhisperingtheirneighbourswithlooksexpressiveofabhorrence。Afewtherewere,whoseemedunmindfulofhim,andlookedonlytothejury,inimpatientwonderhowtheycoulddelay。Butinnooneface--notevenamongthewomen,ofwhomthereweremanythere--couldhereadthefaintestsympathywithhimself,oranyfeelingbutoneofall-absorbinginterestthatheshouldbecondemned。
Ashesawallthisinonebewilderedglance,thedeathlikestillnesscameagain,andlookingbackhesawthatthejurymenhadturnedtowardsthejudge。Hush!
Theyonlysoughtpermissiontoretire。
Helooked,wistfully,intotheirfaces,onebyonewhentheypassedout,asthoughtoseewhichwaythegreaternumberleant;butthatwasfruitless。Thejailertouchedhimontheshoulder。Hefollowedmechanicallytotheendofthedock,andsatdownonachair。Themanpointeditout,orhewouldnothaveseenit。
Helookedupintothegalleryagain。Someofthepeoplewereeating,andsomefanningthemselveswithhandkerchiefs;forthecrowdedplacewasveryhot。Therewasoneyoungmansketchinghisfaceinalittlenote-book。Hewonderedwhetheritwaslike,andlookedonwhentheartistbrokehispencil-point,andmadeanotherwithhisknife,asanyidlespectatormighthavedone。
Inthesameway,whenheturnedhiseyestowardsthejudge,hismindbegantobusyitselfwiththefashionofhisdress,andwhatitcost,andhowheputiton。Therewasanoldfatgentlemanonthebench,too,whohadgoneout,somehalfanhourbefore,andnowcomeback。Hewonderedwithinhimselfwhetherthismanhadbeentogethisdinner,whathehadhad,andwherehehadhadit;andpursuedthistrainofcarelessthoughtuntilsomenewobjectcaughthiseyeandrousedanother。
Notthat,allthistime,hismindwas,foraninstant,freefromoneoppressiveoverwhelmingsenseofthegravethatopenedathisfeet;itwaseverpresenttohim,butinavagueandgeneralway,andhecouldnotfixhisthoughtsuponit。Thus,evenwhilehetrembled,andturnedburninghotattheideaofspeedydeath,hefelltocountingtheironspikesbeforehim,andwonderinghowtheheadofonehadbeenbrokenoff,andwhethertheywouldmendit,orleaveitasitwas。Then,hethoughtofallthehorrorsofthegallowsandthescaffold--andstoppedtowatchamansprinklingthefloortocoolit--andthenwentontothinkagain。
Atlengththerewasacryofsilence,andabreathlesslookfromalltowardsthedoor。Thejuryreturned,andpassedhimclose。Hecouldgleannothingfromtheirfaces;theymightaswellhavebeenofstone。Perfectstillnessensued--notarustle--notabreath--Guilty。
Thebuildingrangwithatremendousshout,andanother,andanother,andthenitechoedloudgroans,thatgatheredstrengthastheyswelledout,likeangrythunder。Itwasapealofjoyfromthepopulaceoutside,greetingthenewsthathewoulddieonMonday。
Thenoisesubsided,andhewasaskedifhehadanythingtosaywhysentenceofdeathshouldnotbepasseduponhim。Hehadresumedhislisteningattitude,andlookedintentlyathisquestionerwhilethedemandwasmade;butitwastwicerepeatedbeforeheseemedtohearit,andthenheonlymutteredthathewasanoldman--anoldman--andso,droppingintoawhisper,wassilentagain。
Thejudgeassumedtheblackcap,andtheprisonerstillstoodwiththesameairandgesture。Awomaninthegallery,utteredsomeexclamation,calledforthbythisdreadsolemnity;helookedhastilyupasifangryattheinterruption,andbentforwardyetmoreattentively。Theaddresswassolemnandimpressive;thesentencefearfultohear。Buthestood,likeamarblefigure,withoutthemotionofanerve。Hishaggardfacewasstillthrustforward,hisunder-jawhangingdown,andhiseyesstaringoutbeforehim,whenthejailerputhishanduponhisarm,andbeckonedhimaway。Hegazedstupidlyabouthimforaninstant,andobeyed。
Theyledhimthroughapavedroomunderthecourt,wheresomeprisonerswerewaitingtilltheirturnscame,andothersweretalkingtotheirfriends,whocrowdedroundagratewhichlookedintotheopenyard。Therewasnobodytheretospeakto_him_;but,ashepassed,theprisonersfellbacktorenderhimmorevisibletothepeoplewhowereclingingtothebars:andtheyassailedhimwithopprobriousnames,andscreechedandhissed。Heshookhisfist,andwouldhavespatuponthem;buthisconductorshurriedhimon,throughagloomypassagelightedbyafewdimlamps,intotheinterioroftheprison。
Here,hewassearched,thathemightnothaveabouthimthemeansofanticipatingthelaw;thisceremonyperformed,theyledhimtooneofthecondemnedcells,andlefthimthere--alone。
Hesatdownonastonebenchoppositethedoor,whichservedforseatandbedstead;andcastinghisblood-shoteyesupontheground,triedtocollecthisthoughts。Afterawhile,hebegantorememberafewdisjointedfragmentsofwhatthejudgehadsaid:thoughithadseemedtohim,atthetime,thathecouldnothearaword。Thesegraduallyfellintotheirproperplaces,andbydegreessuggestedmore:sothatinalittletimehehadthewhole,almostasitwasdelivered。Tobehangedbytheneck,tillhewasdead--thatwastheend。Tobehangedbythenecktillhewasdead。
Asitcameonverydark,hebegantothinkofallthemenhehadknownwhohaddieduponthescaffold;someofthemthroughhismeans。Theyroseup,insuchquicksuccession,thathecouldhardlycountthem。Hehadseensomeofthemdie,--andhadjokedtoo,becausetheydiedwithprayersupontheirlips。Withwhatarattlingnoisethedropwentdown;andhowsuddenlytheychanged,fromstrongandvigorousmentodanglingheapsofclothes!
Someofthemmighthaveinhabitedthatverycell--satuponthatveryspot。Itwasverydark;whydidn'ttheybringalight?Thecellhadbeenbuiltformanyyears。Scoresofmenmusthavepassedtheirlasthoursthere。Itwaslikesittinginavaultstrewnwithdeadbodies--thecap,thenoose,thepinionedarms,thefacesthatheknew,evenbeneaththathideousveil。--Light,light!
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