Charles felt ashamed of his father when he spent too much money and was taken away to the Debtors' prison; after all it happened more than once. His father was locked up until he found enough cash from somewhere to get out. Charles's Mama, brothers and sisters stayed with his father in the "little" room in the Marshalsea prison but Charles was on his own and had to work in a blacking factory, lodging with an old lady he thought of as his very own witch, Mrs.Roylance. He shuddered every time he thought of her - skin folded in pleats on her creased face, small whiskers on the upper lip and false teeth But there were "bright" times - he had Nick who had also been dumped on Mrs. Roylance and together they had adventures and misadventures.