No other way - 1902 Author:Walter Besant Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II ON THE POOR SIDE There is nothing uncommon in the visit of a lady to a debtors' prison. Always there are languishing within those walls unfortun... more »ate gentlemen, some imprisoned until their friends succeed in making arrangements with their creditors ; others lying here for life, either subsisting on such small allowances as unwilling brothers or grudging cousins consent to give, or starving in misery—such misery as we would not inflict on the worst of criminals—on the Poor side. It is not therefore surprising that a compassionate lady should from time to time be seen in those dingy courts, bringing assistance and consolation to one who had formerly been her friend, her cousin, her playfellow, perhaps her lover. This morning, about one o'clock, the hungry, those on the Poor side, were dreaming of dinners impossible of attainment, the regular time for dinner being replaced by casual feeding at such hours and times as might please Fortune the inconstant or Luck the uncertain (a more favourite goddess on the Poor side); and on the Master's side the collegians who had money in purse and pocket were considering seriously what their resources would allow— whether the two-shilling ordinary with a pint of wine after it, or the humble fried sausage and baked potato, with atankard of black beer. At this time the courts of the prison are nearly deserted, for those who belong to the Master's side wish it to be understood that they are at the ordinary, and therefore, if they cannot afford that costly banquet, lie snug in their chambers or repair to the cellar where the more modest delicacies can be procured. So that the arrival of two ladies in the court where the prisoners take their exercise was hardly noticed at all. One of them, wrapped in a silk-lined cloak or mantle, wore...« less