Vol.1 f.054 recto

[???????]. [??????? ??? ??????] “Doctor,” said the turnkey, [?? ????? ????????] “here’s a gentleman’s wife in want of you
without a minute’s loss of time!”

The doctor’s friend was in the positive degree of hoarseness, puffiness , red-facedness, [???????] all-fours , tobacco, dirt
and brandy; the doctor in the comparative—hoarser, puffier , more red-faced, more [???????] all-fourey, tobaccoer, dirtier , and brandier. [??????? ??? ??????] The doctor [???????]was [??????? ?????]amazingly shabby, in a torn and darned rough -
weather sea-jacket, out at elbows , and eminently short of buttons (he had been in his time the experienced
surgeon carried by a passenger ship), the dirtiest white trousers conceivable by mortal man, [ ??] carpet
[????????] slippers, and no visible linen. “ [???? ???? ???????] Childbed?” said the doctor.
“I’m [??????? ?? ?????] the boy!” With that the doctor took a comb from the chimney-piece and stuck his hair [??? ????? ??]
upright — [??????? ?? ?? ?????] which appeared to be his way of washing himself [??????? ?? ?????
?????????????????????????? ????? ] —produced a professional chest or case, of most abject appearance, from the cupboard where his cup and saucer
[??????? ?? ?????] and coals were, settled his chin in the frowsy wrapper round his neck,
[??????? ?? ?????] and became a [?????] ghastly medical scarecrow.

The [???] doctor and the debtor ran down-stairs, leaving the turnkey to return to the [???]
lock, [???? ???? ?????? ?????] and made for the debtor’s room. All the ladies in the
prison had got hold of the news, and were in the yard. Some
[???] of them had [?????] already taken possession of the two children, and were hospitably carrying them off,
others were [??? ??????] offering loans of little comforts [??] from their own [??] scanty store, others
were sympathising with the greatest volubility. The gentlemen prisoners, feeling themselves at a
disadvantage, [??? ??? ??? ???????] had for the most part retired, not to say sneaked , to their rooms; from the open windows
of which some of them now complimented the doctor with whistles as he passed below, while others, with several stories between them, interchanged sarcastic references to the prevalent excitement.

It was a hot summer day, and the [ ??? ???????] prison rooms were baking between the
high walls. In the debtor’s [ ??? ???????] confined chamber, [ ???] Mrs Bangham, charwoman
and messenger, who was not a prisoner [???] , (though she had been once), but was [ ??? ???????] the [ ???????] popular
medium of communication with the outer world, had volunteered [ ??? ???????] her services as
fly-catcher and general attendant. The walls and ceiling were blackened with flies. Mrs Bangham, expert in [ ???????] sudden device, [ ??? ???? ???] with one hand fanned the patient with a cabbage leaf, and with the other set traps of
vinegar and sugar in gallipots ; at the same time enunciating sentiments of an [ ???????] encouraging and [ ??? ????] congratulatory nature, adapted to the occasion.

“The flies trouble you, don’t they, my [ ??????] dear?” said Mrs Bangham. “But p’raps [ ??? ???????] they’ll take your mind off of it,
and do you good. What between [ ??? ???????] the buryin ground, the grocer’s, [ ??? ???????]
the waggon-stables, and the [ ??? ???????] paunch trade, the Marshalsea flies gets very large. P’raps they’re sent
as a consolation, if we only know’d it. [ ??? ?????? ??? ?????] How are you now, my dear? No better?
No, my dear, it ain’t to be expected; you’ll be worse before you’re better, and you know it, don’t you? Yes.
[ ????] That’s right! And to think of a sweet little [ ??????] cherub being born inside the lock ! Now ain’t it pretty, ain’t that something [ ????????] to carry you through it pleasant? Why, we ain’t
had such a thing happen here, my dear, not for [ ?????????] I couldn’t name the time when. And you a crying too?” said Mrs [ ???????] Bangham, to rally the patient [ ??? ??? ?????] more and more. “You! Making yourself so famous! With the flies a falling into
the gallipots by fifties! [ ?] And everything a going on so well! And here if there ain’t ,” said Mrs
Bangham as the door opened, “if there ain’t your dear gentleman along [ ????????] with Dr Haggage! And now indeed we are complete, [ ????????] I think!”

The doctor was scarcely the kind of apparition to inspire a patient with [ ?????]