求一个介绍自己朋友的英语作文

Chapter XXIV.
　　The justices went through their business in the usual routine. They had Mr. Hawes's book up——examined the entries——received them with implicit confidence looked for no other source of information to compare them with. Examined one witness and did not cross-examine him.
　　This done， one of them proposed to concoct their report at once. Another suggested that the materials were not complete； that there was a charge against the chaplain. This should be looked into， and should it prove grave， embodied in their report.
　　Mr. Williams overruled this. "We can reprimand， or if need be the bench can dismiss a chaplain without troubling the Secretaries of State. Let us make our report and then look into the chaplain's conduct， who is， after all， a newcomer， and they say a little cracked； he is a man of learning."
　　So they wrote their report， and in it expressed their conviction that the system on the whole worked admirably. They noticed the incident of Josephs' suicide， but attached no significance and little importance to it. Out of a hundred and eighty prisoners there would be a few succumb in one way or another under the system， but on the whole the system worked well.
　　Jugger system's wheels were well greased， and so long as they were well greased it did not matter their crushing one or two. Besides the crushed were only prisoners——the refuse of society. They reported the governor， Mr. Hawes， as a painstaking， active， zealous officer； and now Mr. Hawes was called in——the report was read to him——and he bowed， laid his hand upon his aorta， and presented a histrionic picture of modest merit surprised by unexpected praise from a high quarter.
　　Next， Mr. Hawes was requested to see the report sent off to the post.
　　"I will， gentlemen；" and in five minutes he was at the post-office in person， and his praises on the way to his sovereign or her representative.
　　"How long will the parson take us？"
　　"Oh！ not ten minutes."
　　"I hope not， for I want to look at a horse."
　　"We had better send for him at once， then."
　　The bell was rung and the chaplain sent for. The chaplain was praying the prayers for the sick by the side of a dying prisoner. He sent back word how he was employed， and that he would come as soon as he had done.
　　This message was not well received. Keep a living justice waiting for a dying dog！
　　"These puppies want taking down，" said Mr. Woodcock.
　　"Oh， leave him to me，" replied Mr. Williams.
　　Soon after this the following puppy came into the room. A gentleman of commanding figure， erect but easy， with a head of remarkable symmetry and an eye like a stag's. He entered the room quietly but rather quickly， and with an air of business； bowed rapidly to the three gentlemen in turn， and waited in silence their commands.
　　Then Mr. Williams drew himself up in his chair， and wore the solemn and dignified appearance that becomes a judge trying a prisoner， with this difference， that his manner was not harsh or intentionally offensive， but just such as to reveal his vast superiority and irresistible weight.
　　In a solemn tone， with a touch of pity， he began thus：
　　"I am sorry to say， Mr. Eden， that grave charges are laid against you in the prison."
　　"Give yourself no uneasiness on my account， sir，" replied Mr. Eden politely， "they are perhaps false."
　　"Yet they come from one who has means of knowing——from the governor， Mr. Hawes."
　　"Ah！ then they are sure to be false."
　　"We shall see. Four Sundays ago you preached a sermon."
　　"Two."
　　"Ay， but one was against cruelty."
　　"It was； the other handled theft."
　　"Mr. Hawes conceives himself to have been singled out and exposed by that sermon."
　　"Why so？ there are more than thirty cruel men in this jail besides him."
　　"Then this sermon was not aimed at him？" put Mr. Williams with a pinning air.
　　"It was and it was not. It was aimed at that class of my parishioners to which he belongs； a large class， including all the turnkeys but one， between twenty and thirty of the greater criminals among the prisoners——and Mr. Hawes."
　　Mr. Williams bit his lip. "Gentlemen， this classification shows the animus；" then turning to Mr. Eden he said， with a half-incredulous sneer， "How comes it that Mr. Hawes took this sermon all to himself？"
　　Mr. Eden smiled. "How does it happen that two prisoners， 82 and 87， took it all to themselves？ These two men sent for me after the sermon； they were wife-beaters. I found them both in great agitation. One terrified， the other softened to tears of penitence. These did not apply my words to Mr. Hawes. The truth is when a searching sermon is preached each sinner takes it to himself. I am glad Mr. Hawes fitted the cap on. I am glad the prisoners fitted the cap on. I am sorry Mr. Hawes was irritated instead of reformed. I am glad those two less hardened sinners were reformed instead of irritated."
　　"And I must tell you， sir， that we disapprove of your style of preaching altogether， and we shall do more， we shall make a change in this respect the condition of your remaining in office."
　　"And the bishop of the diocese？" asked Mr. Eden.
　　"What about him？"
　　"Do you think he will allow you， an ignorant， inexperienced layman， to usurp the episcopal function in his diocese."
　　"The episcopal function？ Mr. Eden."
　　Mr. Eden smiled. "He does not even see that he has been trying to usurp sacred functions and of the highest order. But it is all of a piece——a profound ignorance of all law， civil or ecclesiastical， characterizes all your acts in this jail. My good soul， just ask yourself for what purpose does a bishop exist？ Why is one priest raised above other priests， and consecrated bishop， but to enable the Church to govern its servants. I laugh——but I ought rather to rebuke you. What you have attempted is something worse than childish arrogance. Be warned！ and touch not the sacred vessels so rashly——it is profanation."
　　The flashing eye and the deepening voice， and the old awful ecclesiastical superiority suddenly thundering upon them quite cowed the two smaller magistrates. Williams， whose pomposity the priest had so rudely shaken， gasped for breath with rage. Magisterial arrogance was not prepared for ecclesiastical arrogance， and the blow was stunning.
　　"Gentlemen， I wish to consult you. Be pleased to retire for a minute， sir."
　　A discussion took place in the chaplain's absence. Williams was for dismissing him on the spot， but the others who were cooler would not hear of it. "We have made a false move，" said they， "and he saw our mistake and made the most of it. Never mind！ we shall catch him on other ground."
　　During this discussion Mr. Eden had not been idle； he went into Robinson's empty cell and coolly placed there another inkstand， pen and quire in the place of those Hawes had removed. Then glancing at his watch he ran hastily out of the jail. Opposite the gate he found four men waiting； they were there by appointment.
　　"Giles，" said he to one， "I think a gentleman will come down by the next train. Go to the station and hire Jenkyns's fly with the gray horse. Let no one have it who is not coming on to the jail. You two stay by the printing-press and loom till further orders. Jackson， you keep in the way， too. My servant will bring you your dinner at two o'clock." He then ran back to the justices. They were waiting for him.