Chapter 52（1 / 2）

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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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