"I am bound to tell you, Mankell, judging from the experiences of the last two days, if this sort of thing is to continue--with gathering strength!--the end will not be long."
The prisoner seemed lost in reflection. The officials seemed lost in reflection too; but their reflections were probably of a different kind.
"There is one suggestion I might offer."
"Let"s have it by all means. We have reached a point at which we shall be glad to receive any suggestion--from you."
"You might give me a testimonial."
"Give you what?"
"You might give me a testimonial."
The governor looked at the prisoner, then at his friends.
"A testimonial! Might we indeed! What sort of testimonial do you allude to?"
"You might testify that I had regained my reputation, redeemed my character--that I had proved to your entire satisfaction that I was the magician I claimed to be."
The governor leaned back in his seat.
"Your suggestion has at least the force of novelty. I should like to search the registers of remarkable cases, to know if such an application has ever been made to the governor of an English jail before. What do you say, Hardinge?"
The Major shuffled in his chair.
"I--I think I must return to town."
The prisoner smiled. The Major winced.
"That--that fellow"s pinned me to my chair," he gasped. He appeared to be making futile efforts to rise from his seat.
"You cannot return to town. Dismiss the idea from your mind."
The Major only groaned. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. The governor looked up from the paper-knife with which he was again trifling.
"Am I to understand that the testimonial is to take the shape of a voluntary offering?"
"Oh, sir! Of what value is a testimonial which is not voluntary?"
"Quite so. How do you suggest it should be worded?"
"May I ask you for paper, pens, and ink?"
The prisoner bent over the table and wrote on the paper which was handed him. What he had written he pa.s.sed to the governor. Mr. Paley found inscribed, in a beautifully fair round hand, as clear as copperplate, the following "testimonial":--
"The undersigned persons present their compliments to Colonel Gregory.
Oliver Mankell, sentenced by Colonel Gregory to three months" hard labour, has been in Canterstone Jail two days. That short s.p.a.ce of time has, however, convinced them that Colonel Gregory acted wrongly in distrusting his magic powers, and so casting a stain upon his character. This is to testify that he has proved, to the entire satisfaction of the undersigned inspector of prisons and officials of Canterstone Jail, that he is a magician of quite the highest cla.s.s."
"The signatures of all those present should be placed at the bottom,"
observed the prisoner, as the governor was reading the "testimonial."
Apparently at a loss for words with which to comment upon the paper he had read, the governor handed it to the inspector. The Major shrank from taking it.
"I--I"d rather not," he mumbled.
"I think you had better read it," said the governor. Thus urged, the Major did read it.
"Good Lord!" he gasped, and pa.s.sed it to the doctor.
The doctor silently, having read it, pa.s.sed it to the chaplain.
"I will read it aloud," said Mr. Hewett. He did so--for the benefit, probably, of Slater and Mr. Murray.
"Supposing we were to sign that doc.u.ment, what would you propose to do with it?" inquired the governor.
"I should convey it to Colonel Gregory."
"Indeed! In that case he would have as high an opinion of our characters as of yours. And yourself--what sort of action might we expect from you?"
"I should go."
The governor"s jaw dropped.
"Go? Oh, would you!"
"My character regained, for what have I to stop?"
"Exactly. What have you? There"s that point of view, no doubt. Well, Mankell, we will think the matter over."
The prisoner dropped his hands to his sides, looking the governor steadily in the face.
"Sir, I conceive that answer to convey a negative. The proposition thus refused will not be made again. It only remains for me to continue earnestly my endeavours to retrieve my character--until the three months are at an end."
The chaplain was holding the testimonial loosely between his finger and thumb. Stretching out his arm, Mankell pointed at it with his hand. It was immediately in flames. The chaplain releasing it, it was consumed to ashes before it reached the floor. Returning to face the governor gain, the prisoner laid his right hand, palm downwards, on the table: "Spirits of the air, in whose presence I now stand, I ask you if I am not justified in whatever I may do?"
His voice was very musical. His upturned eyes seemed to pierce through the ceiling to what there was beyond. The room grew darker. There was a rumbling in the air. The ground began to shake. The chaplain, who was caressing the hand which had been scorched by the flames, burst out with what was for him a pa.s.sionate appeal:
"Mr. Mankell, you are over hasty. I was about to explain that I should esteem it quite an honour to sign your testimonial."
"So should I--upon my soul, I should!" declared the Major.
"There"s nothing I wouldn"t do to oblige you, Mr. Mankell," stammered the chief warder.
"Same "ere!" cried Warder Slater.
"You really are too rapid in arriving at conclusions, Mr. Mankell,"
remarked the governor. "I do beg you will not suppose there was any negative intention."