The times., 1901-03-24

The gaoler Of the prison of Los Per
dido was humane man, and, therefore
when those In his charge bought a lux
ury from without, to supplement the
hard fare within. he never charged them
more than thrice its value. 4 stern man,
too, for all his humanity, as the keeper
Of such place had need TO he. else would
he never have borne for twenty years the
sUilen gloom of fathomless sorrow of
Los Perdido. Further, with his stern
ness and humanity. he was a man Of
tender family ties, else he had never
endured such weary burden 50 many
years; for to be gaoler Of Los Perdido
one had 10 be either debased beneath
mans common level or raised high above
Il by self-sacriice.
Pedro MartovaI was the latter and the
prisoners one and ALL with the uncon-
scious tribute which vice pays TO vir-
tue. aided to compensate the victim.
Most things. except fresh air and free
dom. cculd be had IN Los Perdido i'm ex-
change for certain coin. These two were
beyond purchase; the first, by reason of
its non-eXistence5 the second, by reason
OF its risk
It takes even a humane man a long
period Of apprenticeship 10 learn how to
calculate the market value of benefits.
So much depends on the pocket of the
beneficiary. Therefore. though twenty
gears had passed Pcdros scale of
charges was both incomplete and unset
tied. Besides, cases arose occasionally
for which there was no precedent, and
then. naturally. the charge had TO be
newly assessed.
Such case had just arisen, and Pedro
8fartovals official morality was in doubt
as 70 the value Of the concession. To
claim too much would be extortionate;
worse il would be Unwise. since the pris-
ouer. or rather pTisoners-for there were
two TO De cOnsideTed-wOUld be unable
70 pay, and no gaoler who Upholds the
honor Of his office will haggle with his
prisoners. II brings him down TOO near
their contemplate level. and destroys
their respect for his authority. They
begin to think they have rights where
they have only privileges.
on the other hand. 10 claim too little
would be grossly inhumane. where true
charity should begin and foolish TO boot,
since no wise man leaves behind him the
strippings Of his milch COW; and with
both Of the prisoners it was q closing
OF accounts. Profit not made on this
occasion would never be made and there
IS no ghost harder TO lay than the ghost
Of lost opportunity OF doing good onto
oneself So Pedro Martoval was uneasy
IN his mind
Los Perdido was not n cheerful place
30 optimism, however opulent, could ever
have 50 called il. Originally it had been
dedicated "'uo All the Saints" possibly
IN order that each individual Of the many
generations of inhabitants might have u
grateful sense OF personal protection. The
protection was there, certainly, but it
was not sanity. and "AlI the Saints
speedily became Los Perdido.
Take the flthiest slum IN the nIthicst
town Of Old Spain. Build up in it a low
rooted. slit-windowed, thick-wslled un-
drained, stone-aud-mortar mass of fifty
yards square. Crime 1t within and with
out with the undisturbed CRIME Of 300
Uns3nitary years, not stintiug your i'm
nSination in the griming Block It all
round with houses twice it's height, so
that sunlight may be ungrudgingly ex-
cluded, and you have Los Perdido in
everything but the smell. Respect for
the politeness OF society prevents a de-
scription Of the smell. Besides, there are
certain things which transcend words
and bcggar language, and the smell OF
Los Perdido was one Of them. Yet, as
everything has its uses, the governments
through succeeding centuries may have
found compensation for this unspeakabIe
vileness in the dcservedly high death
rate of Los Perdido.
AS TO the interior, we shall hnd three
rooms quite enough for our purpose. or
rather two cells. passage, and room.
In the passage is Pedro Martoyal bit
.ng his nails az he tries TO calculate val
ues 10 do sums in your head Is always
trying-lt ia one Of the torments OF the