Pickwick Papers Chapter XLI

In which we are conducted through the gloomy, crowded corridors and grim chambers of the Fleet Prison, where the curious mingle with the melancholy in the prisoners' varied dispositions and humble doings, while Mr Pickwick strives to find comfort amid such bleak surroundings. At length, night descends upon the weary inmates, bringing with it a curious blend of raucous entertainment and companionship that lends a certain grotesque gaiety to their enforced confinement.