He caused the carriage to be drawn close up to the outer gate, and got out himself to summon the warders.

The noise of his rap alarmed some twenty or thirty ragged boys, who left off sailing their mimic sloops and frigates in the little pools of salt water left by the receding tide, and hastily crowded round the vehicle to see what luckless being was to be delivered to the prison-house out of 'Glossin's braw new carriage.' The door of the courtyard, after the heavy clanking of many chains and bars, was opened by Mrs.Mac-Guffog--an awful spectacle, being a woman for strength and resolution capable of maintaining order among her riotous inmates, and of administering the discipline of the house, as it was called, during the absence of her husband, or when he chanced to have taken an overdose of the creature.

The growling voice of this Amazon, which rivalled in harshness the crashing music of her own bolts and bars, soon dispersed in every direction the little varlets who had thronged around her threshold, and she next addressed her amiable helpmate:-- 'Be sharp, man, and get out the swell, canst thou not ?' 'Hold your tongue and be d-d, you--,' answered her loving husband, with two additional epithets of great energy, but which we beg to be excused from repeating.

Then addressing Bertram--'Come, will you get out, my handy lad, or must we lend you a lift ?' Bertram came out of the carriage, and, collared by the constable as he put his foot on the ground, was dragged, though he offered no resistance, across the threshold, amid the continued shouts of the little sansculottes, who looked on at such distance as their fear of Mrs.
Mac-Guffog permitted.

The instant his foot had crossed the fatal porch, the portress again dropped her chains, drew her bolts, and, turning with both hands an immense key, took it from the lock and thrust it into a huge side-pocket of red cloth.
Bertram was now in the small court already mentioned.