he "regretted he could do nothing,"
presumably because we were only Englishmen and not Bulgarians. An answer
to this piece of callous hypocrisy came from the London clubs. One
resolution passed by the Combined Radical Clubs of Chelsea, representing
thousands of working men, characterised our continued imprisonment as an
indelible stigma on the Liberal Government.

CHAPTER XVI. A LONG NIGHT.

Feeling there was no prospect of release, and resigned to my fate, I
settled down to endure it, with a resolution to avail myself of every
possible mitigation. Colonel Milman included us among the special
exercise men, and we enjoyed the luxury of two outings every day; our
solitary confinement being thus reduced to twenty-two hours instead of
twenty-three. By finessing I also managed to get an old feather pillow
from the store-room, which proved a comfortable addition to the wooden
bolster. The alteration in our food I have already mentioned.

Sir William Harcourt did absolutely nothing for us, but the Secretary of
the Prison Commissioners gave instructions that we were to be treated
as kindly as possible, so that "nothing might happen" to us. One of
the upper officers, whom I have seen since, told me we were a source
of great anxiety to the authorities, and they were very glad to see our
backs.

Mr. Anderson called on me in my cell and asked what he could do for me.

"Open the front door," I answered.

With a pleasant smile he regretted his inability to do that.

"Well then," I continued, "let me have something to read."

"Yes," he said, "I can do that. There are many books in the prison
library."

"But not one," I retorted, "fit for an educated man to read. They are
all selected by the chaplain."

"Well," he answered, "I cannot give you what we haven't got."

"But why not let me have my own books to read?" I asked.

Mr. Anderson replied that such a thing was unheard of, but I persisted
in my plea, which Colonel Milman generously supported.

"Well," said Mr. Anderson, "I suppose we must. Your own books may be
sent in, and the Governor can let you have them two at a time. But, you
know, you mustn't have such writings as you are here for."

"Oh," I replied, "you have the power to check that. They will all pass
through the Governor's hands, and I will order in nothing but what
Colonel Milman might read himself."

"Oh," said Mr. Anderson, with a humorous smile, which the Governor and
the Inspector shared,