The spectre of the prison had risen up against him.
Towards the end of Silas Finn's speech, at his last great meeting, a man, sitting in the body of the hall near the platform, got up and interrupted him.

"What about your own past life?
What about your three years' penal servitude ?" All eyes were turned from the man--a common looking, evil man--to the candidate, who staggered as if he had been shot, caught at the table behind him for support and stared in greyfaced terror.

There was an angry tumult, and the interrupter would have fared badly, but for Silas Finn holding up his hand and imploring silence.
"I challenge the candidate to deny," said the man, as soon as he could be heard, "that his real name is Silas Kegworthy, and that he underwent three years' penal servitude for murderously assaulting his wife." Then the candidate braced himself and said: "The bare facts are true.
But I have lived stainlessly in the fear of God and in the service of humanity for thirty years.

I have sought absolution for a moment of mad anger under awful provocation in unremitting prayer and in trying to save the souls and raise the fortunes of my fellow-men.

Is that all you have against me ?" "That's all," said the man.
"It is for you, electors of Hickney Heath, to judge me." He sat down amid tumultuous cheers, and the man who had interrupted him, after some rough handling, managed to make his escape.