long time, as if they were in prison too, and unable to get out.

This turnkey had given him to understand that he was lodged, like some
few others in the jail, apart from the mass of prisoners; because he
was not supposed to be utterly depraved and irreclaimable, and had
never occupied apartments in that mansion before. Kit was thankful for
this indulgence, and sat reading the church catechism very attentively
(though he had known it by heart from a little child), until he heard
the key in the lock, and the man entered again.

'Now then,' he said, 'come on!'

'Where to, Sir?' asked Kit.

The man contented himself by briefly replying 'Wisitors;' and taking
him by the arm in exactly the same manner as the constable had done the
day before, led him, through several winding ways and strong gates,
into a passage, where he placed him at a grating and turned upon his
heel. Beyond this grating, at the distance of about four or five feet,
was another exactly like it. In the space between, sat a turnkey
reading a newspaper, and outside the further railing, Kit saw, with a
palpitating heart, his mother with the baby in her arms; Barbara's
mother with her never-failing umbrella; and poor little Jacob, staring
in with all his might, as though he were looking for the bird, or the
wild beast, and thought the men were mere accidents with whom the bars
could have no possible concern.

But when little Jacob saw his brother, and, thrusting his arms between
the rails to hug him, found that he came no nearer, but still stood
afar off with his head resting on the arm by which he held to one of
the bars, he began to cry most piteously; whereupon, Kit's mother and
Barbara's mother, who had restrained themselves as much as possible,
burst out sobbing and weeping afresh. Poor Kit could not help joining
them, and not one of them could speak a word. During this melancholy
pause, the turnkey read his newspaper with a waggish look (he had
evidently got among the facetious paragraphs) until, happening to take
his eyes off for an instant, as if to get by dint of contemplation at
the very marrow of some joke of a deeper sort than the rest, it
appeared to occur to him, for the first time, that somebody was crying.

'Now, ladies, ladies,' he said, looking round with surprise, 'I'd
advise you not to waste time like this. It's allowanced here, you
know. You mustn't let that child make that noise either. It's against
all rules.'

'I'm his