Page:A Child of the Jago - Arthur Morrison.djvu/309

 Harnwell had got, and sent a message to Bill Rann, while his wife did little more than dolefully look through the wires, and pipe: "O, Josh, wotever shall I do?" at intervals, with no particular emotion; while Em pressed her smudgy little face against the wires, and stared mightily; and while Dicky felt that if he had been younger he would have cried. When time was up Josh waved his hand and slouched off, and his family turned out with the rest: little Em carrying into later years a memory of father as a man who lived in a cage.

In such a case as this, the Jago would have been forever disgraced if Josh Perrott's pals had neglected to get up a "break" or subscription to pay for his defence. Things were never very flourishing in the Jago. But this was the sort of break a Jago could not shirk, lest it were remembered against him when his own turn came. So enough was collected to