he only part
of it on which I could not depend was that referring to the first days
after my departure, when I had taken no notice whatever of the time that
had passed. By guess I had put down four notches against those days and
nights, and I afterwards found that my memorandum was correct.

Thus for several days--nearly a week--passed I the hours--the long
hours--long, and dark, and irksome: ever more or less miserable, at
times sadly dejected, but never positively despairing.

Strange to say, my greatest misery arose from the absence of light. I
had at first suffered from my cramped position, and also from lying upon
the hard oak timber; but I got used to these inconveniences. Besides,
for the hardness of my bed I soon discovered a remedy. I had observed
that the box which stood upon the other side of my biscuit-house
contained some sort of stuff that had the feel of woollen goods. On
further examination, it proved to be broadcloth, closely-packed in large
webs as it had come from the manufactory. This suggested an idea that
was likely to contribute to my comfort; and I set about putting it into
execution. After removing the biscuits out of my way, I enlarged the
hole (which I had already made in the side of the cloth-box) to such an
extent that I was able--not without much labour, however--to detach one
of the pieces, and draw it out; and then with less trouble I pulled
forth another and another, until I had as much as would serve my
purpose. I was two hours in completing this operation, but having got
possession of the cloth, and shaken it out of its hard foldings, I
procured both carpet and couch soft enough for a king to rest upon; and
perhaps as costly, too--for I could feel that I was handling an article
that was "superfine." I did not use more of it than was absolutely
required to cover the hard oaken planks. Its bulk would have
inconvenienced me had I taken much of it from the box; and before
spreading it out, I had to clear the way, by returning all the biscuits
to their old repository.

Having spread my costly couch, I lay down upon it, and felt a great deal
more comfortable than I had yet done.

But I still longed for light more than for anything else. It is
difficult to conceive the misery of existence under complete darkness;
and I could now well comprehend the reason why the "dungeon" has always
been regarded as the most awful punishment which a prisoner can be made
to endure. No wonder m