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Plasterer called out； 'I say！……sir！' and came back to him。
'It ain't much；' said the Plasterer； putting a little pile of halfpence
in his hand； 'but it's well meant。'
The Father of the Marshalsea had never been offered tribute in copper
yet。 His children often had； and with his perfect acquiescence it had
gone into the mon purse to buy meat that he had eaten； and drink that
he had drunk； but fustian splashed with white lime； bestowing halfpence
on him； front to front； was new。
'How dare you！' he said to the man； and feebly burst into tears。
The Plasterer turned him towards the wall； that his face might not be
seen； and the action was so delicate； and the man was so perated with
repentance； and asked pardon so honestly； that he could make him no less
acknowledgment than； 'I know you meant it kindly。 Say no more。'
'Bless your soul； sir；' urged the Plasterer； 'I did indeed。 I'd do more
by you than the rest of 'em do； I fancy。'
'What would you do？' he asked。
'I'd e back to see you； after I was let out。'
'Give me the money again；' said the other； eagerly； 'and I'll keep it；
and never spend it。 Thank you for it； thank you！ I shall see you again？'
'If I live a week you shall。'
They shook hands and parted。 The collegians； assembled in Symposium in
the Snuggery that night； marvelled what had happened to their Father； he
walked so late in the shadows of the yard； and seemed so downcast。
CHAPTER 7。 The Child of the Marshalsea
The baby whose first draught of air had been tinctured with Doctor
Haggage's brandy； was handed down among the generations of collegians；
like the tradition of their mon parent。 In the earlier stages of her
existence； she was handed down in a literal and prosaic sense； it being
almost a part of the entrance footing of every new collegian to nurse
the child who had been born in the college。
'By rights；' remarked the turnkey when she was first shown to him； 'I
ought to be her godfather。'
The debtor irresolutely thought of it for a minute； and said； 'Perhaps
you wouldn't object to really being her godfather？'
'Oh！ _I_ don't object；' replied the turnkey； 'if you don't。'
Thus it came to pass that she was christened one Sunday afternoon； when
the turnkey； being relieved； was off the lock； and that the turnkey
went up to the font of Saint George's Church； and promised and vowed and
renounced on her behalf； as he himself related when he came back； 'like
a good 'un。'
This invested the turnkey with a new proprietary share in the child；
over and above his former official one。 When she began to walk and talk；
he became fond of her； bought a little arm…chair and stood it by the
high fender of the lodge fire…place； liked to have her pany when he
was on the lock； and used to bribe her with cheap toys to e and talk
to him。 The child； for her part； soon grew so fond of the turnkey that
she would e climbing up the lodge…steps of her own accord at all
hours of the day。 When she fell asleep in the little armchair by the
high fender； the turnkey would cover her with his pocket…handkerchief；
and when she sat in it dressing and undressing a doll which soon came
to be unlike dolls on the other side of the lock； and to bear a horrible
family resemblance to Mrs Bangham……he would contemplate her from the
top of his stool with exceeding gentleness。 Witnessing these things；
the collegians would express an opinion that the turnkey； who was a
bachelor； had been cut out by nature for a family man。 But the turnkey
thanked them； and said； 'No； on the whole it was enough to see other
people's children there。' At what period of her early life the little
creature began to perceive that it was not the habit of all the world to
live locked up in narrow yards surrounded by high walls with spikes at
the top； would be a difficult question to settle。 But she was a very；
very little creature indeed； when she had somehow gained the knowledge
that her clasp of her father's hand was to be always loosened at the
door which the great key opened； and that while her own light steps were
free to pass beyond it； his feet must never cross that line。 A pitiful
and plaintive look； with which she had begun to regard him when she was
still extremely young； was perhaps a part of this discovery。
With a pitiful and plaintive look for everything； indeed； but with
something in it for only him that was like protection； this Child of
the Marshalsea and the child of the Father of the Marshalsea； sat by her
friend the turnkey in the lodge； kept the family room； or wandered about
the prison…yard； for the first eight years of her life。 With a pitiful
and plaintive look for her wayward sister； for her idle brother； for the
high blank walls； for the faded crowd they shut in； for the games of the
prison children as they whooped and ran； and played at hide…and…seek；
and made the iron bars of the inner gateway 'Home。'
Wistful and wondering； she would sit in summer weather by the high
fender in the lodge； looking up at the sky through the barred window；
until； when she turned her eyes away； bars of light would arise between
her and her friend； and she would see him through a grating； too。
'Thinking of the fields；' the turnkey said once； after watching her；
'ain't you？'
'Where are they？' she inquired。
'Why； they're……over there； my dear；' said the turnkey； with a vague
flourish of his key。 'Just about there。'
'Does anybody open them； and shut them？ Are they locked？'
The turnkey was disfited。 'Well；' he said。 'Not in general。'
'Are they very pretty； Bob？' She called him Bob； by his own particular
request and instruction。
'Lovely。 Full of flowers。 There's buttercups； and there's daisies；
and there's'……the turnkey hesitated； being short of floral
nomenclature……'there's dandelions； and all manner of games。'
'Is it very pleasant to be there； Bob？'
'Prime；' said the turnkey。
'Was father ever there？'
'Hem！' coughed the turnkey。 'O yes； he was there； sometimes。'
'Is he sorry not to be there now？'
'N…not particular；' said the turnkey。
'Nor any of the people？' she asked； glancing at the listless crowd
within。 'O are you quite sure and certain； Bob？'
At this difficult point of the conversation Bob gave in； and changed the
subject to hard…bake： always his last resource when he found his little
friend getting him into a political； social； or theological corner。
But this was the origin of a series of Sunday excursions that these two
curious panions made together。 They used to issue from the lodge on
alternate Sunday afternoons with great gravity； bound for some meadows
or green lanes that had been elaborately appointed by the turnkey in
the course of the week； and there she picked grass and flowers to bring
home； while he smoked his pipe。 Afterwards； there were tea…gardens；
shrimps； ale； and other delicacies； and then they would e back hand
in hand； unless she was more than usually tired； and had fallen asleep
on his shoulder。
In those early days； the turnkey first began profoundly to consider
a question which cost him so much mental labour； that it remained
undetermined on the day of his death。 He decided to will and bequeath
his little property of savings to his godchild； and the point arose how
could it be so 'tied up' as that only she should have the benefit of
it？ His experience on the lock gave him such an acute perception of the
enormous difficulty of 'tying up' money with any approach to tightness；
and contrariwise of the remarkable ease with which it got loose； that
through a series of years he regularly propounded this knotty point to
every new insolvent agent and other professional gentleman who passed in
and out。
'Supposing；' he would say； stating the case with his key on the
professional gentleman's waistcoat； 'supposing a man wanted to leave his
property to a young female； and wanted to tie it up so that nobody else
should ever be able to make a grab at it； how would you tie up that
property？'
'Settle it strictly on herself；' the professional gentleman would
placently answer。
'But look here；' quoth the turnkey。 'Supposing she had； say a brother；
say a father； say a husband； who would be likely