Full little pence be in his sack,
This devil hath him by the back
It is no boot to lie.
—Swinburne.
Daniel Pye on that selfsame memorable2 day was literally3 floating in a blissful atmosphere of delight.
My lord of Stowmaries had not only been arrested but he had confessed to his guilt4; a matter which at first had greatly surprised Master Pye, who had been at great pains to concoct5 an elaborate lie, only to find through some mysterious accident of Fortune, he must have hit upon the truth.
Of course he did not realise as yet that the man who had been arrested and who had confessed was not the former suitor for Mistress Peyton's hand. He had only heard some pleasant rumours6 anent the reward which he would get as soon as conviction was obtained against the accused. Many spoke7 of fifty pounds, others that his reward would be as great as that given to Master Oates: a substantial pension and comfortable lodgings8 in one of the king's houses.
But the thought of Mistress Peyton's miserable9 condition of vain regrets and bitter disappointment the while her lover lingered in the Tower, pleased Master Pye as much as that of his own good fortune, nor could he resist the desire to brag10 of his prowess to those very menials who had witnessed his downfall. There would be no great[387] pleasure in the discomfiture11 of Mistress Peyton, unless she knew whose was the hand that had dealt the death blow to all her cherished schemes.
Of a truth the lady was staggered when she heard of Daniel Pye's boasts. He had been sitting in the kitchen for the past hour surrounded by a crowd of gaping12 listeners, and enjoying one of the many fruits of notoriety. The cook had placed a large venison pasty before him, together with a tankard of ale, and lacqueys and wenches were hearing open-mouthed the account of how Master Pye had brought my lord of Stowmaries to disgrace, and that the life of more than one great nobleman lay in the palm of that same Pye's very grimy hand.
Mistress Peyton, when she heard of the man's boasts and of his popularity among her servants, had him incontinently kicked out of the house again, but not before he had told her with insolent13 spite that she was now paying for the injustice14 she had perpetrated on a faithful servant close on half a year ago.
To Daniel Pye the awakening15 from these pleasing dreams came all too soon. That same evening at the tavern16 in Whitefriars, he gathered the truth from out the conflicting rumours which he heard. It was the new Earl of Stowmaries who had taken upon himself the charge of conspiracy17 preferred by Master Pye, and 'twas he who had confessed his guilt. What could this mean, and what would be the consequences which would accrue18 to the informant, to his future reward and future safety through this unexpected turn of affairs?
Master Oates, consulted on the point, was for sticking to the lie on every point. The actual personality of the man could not matter in the least, and since this Earl of Stowmaries actually pleaded guilty to the charge, why then, all[388] was for the best and it was not for Daniel Pye to worry about it all.
Master Tongue—more wary—feared a trap, but his objections were overruled, and on the whole the infamous19 fraternity decided20 that confrère Pye must uphold his perjuries21 to the end, since he would obtain the reward whoever was condemned22 on his information.
"You need have no fear, good Master," concluded Oates reassuringly23; "you'll be believed in any event. Master Bedloe and myself never had any difficulty hitherto, even though at the Stayley trial we got in vast confusion, seeing that we made several slips which could easily have been proved against us, had the judge and jury been so minded. Nay24! nay! Do you stick to your story. Since one Lord Stowmaries desires to hang instead of the other, why, let him, so say I."
This cynical25 speech was, alas26, an only too true exposé of the situation. Daniel Pye was almost reassured27, and fell to applying himself to making his story more circumstantial. On consultation28 with his friends it was decided that the recent murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey would be dragged into the indictment29. That mysterious crime was indeed a trump30 card in the hands of the informants. It seemed a pity not to play it when the stakes were as high as they were just now.
Pye therefore prepared himself to state on oath that the murder was freely projected by my lord Stowmaries with the minister of the King of France, in the course of the treasonable interview in Paris.
But even then did the course of this true liar31 not run altogether smooth, for anon it became generally known that Master Legros, tailor of Paris, and his daughter who was none other than the wife of the dispossessed Lord of[389] Stowmaries, had been compelled to give evidence for the Crown in corroboration32 of Master Pye's story.
Whereupon the latter fell into a state of agitation33 worse than before. He stared dry-lipped and wide-eyed at the man who had come in with this news. This was the first intimation which he had that one of his lies at least would find him out. When he had vowed34 that Master Legros had overheard the treasonable conversation between the Earl of Stowmaries and the minister of the King of France, he had no thought that the tailor would actually be compelled to give testimony35, whether he would or no.
Pye turned well-nigh sick at the thought. Dotard though he was, he had no hopes that Master Legros would endorse36 his lies. Once more he turned to his friends for counsel, and briefly37 explained to them the terrible plight38 in which he now found himself.
"Mayhap I'd better disappear," he suggested timorously39, "before I am caught for perjury40. It means the loss of my right hand and years of imprisonment41; mayhap in this case the rope."
"Bah, man, be not such a coward," admonished42 Oates boldly. He had gone through all the anxieties himself and knew how to make light of them. "'Twas a pity you did drag an alien's name into the case, of course, but—"
"'Twas the magistrate43 suggested it to me," broke in Pye, who was on the verge44 of tears; "he said that it would be better if another witness were forthcoming, who also had heard the conversation at the hostelry in Paris. It would strengthen my evidence, so he said."
"Because the tailor was in deadly enmity with my lord[390] of Stowmaries—with the other one, I mean—and I thought he would help me and gladly too."
"And think you he'll turn against you?"
"I fear me that he will," quoth Pye, who truly was in a pitiable condition.
"Then, man, you must change your tactics," now said Oates decisively. "Nay! I repeat, do not be afraid. 'Tis you they will believe, and not the papist tailor or his daughter. What can they say? That they did not hear the treasonable conversation between the accused and the minister of the King of France. Well, what of that? 'Tis but a negation46, and no evidence. The Attorney-General will soon upset such feeble testimony. But do you swear that on thinking the matter over you now remember that the tailor and his daughter had already left the hostelry of the 'Rat Mort' when that treasonable consult took place and that you were in my company and not in theirs. Then with one fell swoop47 do you destroy the whole value of the Legros' evidence, and place yourself once more in an unassailable position, for I too can swear then that I was with you at the time, and heard the whole conversation—so be that you are prepared to share the reward which you will get with me," concluded the scoundrel with earnest emphasis.
Daniel Pye had no option. Of a truth he was not quite such a hardened sinner as these professional liars48 who had thriven and prospered49 under their organized perjuries for close on half a year.
The whole of the information against Lord Stowmaries was therefore gone through all over again, nor was there any fear that this change of front would in any way prejudice the noble jury against the informant. In Coleman's case and in that of Stailey, and alas, in that of many[391] others, the infamous witnesses contradicted themselves and one another to an extent which makes the modern historian gasp50, when he has to put it on record that men in England were condemned to death wholesale51, on evidence that was as flimsy as it was false.
Master Pye, once more at peace, therefore, with his prospects52 and with himself, learned his new lesson with diligence. But Master Oates was firm on one point, and that was on his share in the coming reward. Pye demurred53 for a long time. Emboldened54 by the encouragement of his friends, he now thought that he could carry the whole business through alone.
Ultimately it was decided that Master Oates was to receive ￡5 of the reward, provided he swore that on a certain day in April he too was present at the tavern of the "Rat Mort" in Paris when my lord of Stowmaries discussed with the minister of the King of France the terms of the shameful55 treaty whereby King Charles was to be murdered, the Duke of York be placed on the throne of England and the latter country sold to the French and to the Pope of Rome.
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1
wried
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| 歪曲，扭曲（wry的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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2
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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concoct
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| v.调合，制造 | |
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rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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7
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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9
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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brag
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| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
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discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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12
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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13
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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14
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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15
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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16
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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17
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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18
accrue
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| v.(利息等)增大，增多 | |
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19
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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20
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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21
perjuries
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| n.假誓，伪证，伪证罪( perjury的名词复数 ) | |
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22
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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24
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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25
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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26
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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27
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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28
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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29
indictment
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| n.起诉；诉状 | |
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30
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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31
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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32
corroboration
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| n.进一步的证实，进一步的证据 | |
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33
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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34
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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35
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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36
endorse
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| vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意 | |
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37
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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38
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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39
timorously
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| adv.胆怯地，羞怯地 | |
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40
perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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41
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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42
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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43
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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44
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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45
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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46
negation
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| n.否定；否认 | |
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47
swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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48
liars
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| 说谎者( liar的名词复数 ) | |
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49
prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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51
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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52
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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53
demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
emboldened
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| v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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