THE ORANGE GIRL

CONTENTS


PAGE

PROLOGUE 1


PART I

HOW I GOT INTO THE KING'S BENCH


I I AM TURNED OUT INTO THE WORLD 15

II A CITY OF REFUGE 23

III A WAY TO LIVE 29

IV LOVE AND MUSIC 33

V WEDDING BELLS AND THE BOOK OF THE PLAY 40

VI A CITY FUNERAL 51

VII THE READING OF THE WILL 58

VIII THE TEMPTATION 65

IX THE CLAIM AND THE ARREST 72

X THE ARREST 79


PART II

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE


I RELEASE 91

II HOW I GOT A NEW PLACE 97

III THE MASQUERADE 103

IV WHO SHE WAS 116

V THE BLACK JACK 130

VI A WARNING AND ANOTHER OFFER 143

VII JENNY'S ADVICE 156

VIII A SUCCESSFUL CONSPIRACY 162

IX NEWGATE 170

X THE SAME OFFER 184

XI THE IMPENDING TRIAL 191

XII THE TRIAL 197

XIII THE COMPANY OF REVENGE 213

XIV AN UNEXPECTED CHARGE 225

XV THE FILIAL MARTYR 238

XVI THE SNARE WHICH THEY DIGGED FOR OTHERS 248

XVII THE CASE OF CLARINDA 253

XVIII THE FALLEN ALDERMAN 261

XIX THE END OF THE CONSPIRACY 267

XX THE HONOURS OF THE MOB 273

XXI GUILTY, MY LORD 280

XXII FROM THE CONDEMNED CELL 295

XXIII AN UNEXPECTED EVENT 308

XXIV COMMUTATION 316

XXV TRANSPORTATION 322

XXVI THE LAST TEMPTATION 336




PROLOGUE


On a certain afternoon in May, about four or five of the clock, I was
standing at the open window of my room in that Palace to which Fortune
leads her choicest favourites--the College, or Prison, as some call it,
of the King's Bench. I was at the time a prisoner for debt, with very
little chance of ever getting out. More fortunate than most of the
tenants, I was able to carry on my business. For instance, all that
morning I had been engaged in composing a song--it was afterwards sung
with great applause at the Dog and Duck; and on the bed reposed the
instrument with which I earned the greater part of my daily bread--my
faithful violin.

My window was on the ground-floor in the great building which was then
new, for the Prison had been transferred from the other side two or
three years before. This building contains more than two hundred rooms,
and twice that number of prisoners. Many of the ground-floor rooms have
been converted into shops--chandlers', grocers', mercers', hosiers'. You
may buy anything in these shops, except a good book. I believe that
there is no demand in the prison for such an article of commerce.
Song-books and jest-books and cards on the other hand, are constantly
called for. It was a day of bright sunshine. Outside, on the Grand
Parade--otherwise called King Street--which is a broad footway flagged,
strolled up and down in the sunshine an endless procession. They paced
the pavement from East to West; they turned and paced it again from West
to East. Among them were a few neatly attired, but by far the greater
number, men and women, were slatternly, untidy, and slipshod.