有声名著之双城记Book2 Chapter03

　　有声名著之双城记

       CHAPTER IIIA Disappointment

       MR. ATTORNEY-GENERAL had to inform the jury, that the prisoner before them,though young in years, was old in the treasonable practices which claimedthe forfeit of his life. That this correspondence with the public enemy wasnot a correspondence of to-day, or of yesterday, or even of last year, or ofthe year before. That, it was certain the prisoner had, for longer thanthat, been in the habit of passing and repassing between France and England,on secret business of which he could give no honest account. That, if itwere in the nature of traitorous ways to thrive (which happily it neverwas), the real wickedness and guilt of his business might have remainedundiscovered. That Providence, however, had put it into the heart of aperson who was beyond fear and beyond reproach, to ferret out the nature ofthe prisoner's schemes, and, struck with horror, to disclose them to hisMajesty's Chief Secretary of State and most honourable Privy Council. That,this patriot would be produced before them. That, his position and attitudewere, on the whole, sublime. That, he had been the prisoner's friend, but,at once in an auspicious and an evil hour detecting his infamy, had resolvedto immolate the traitor he could no longer cherish in his bosom, on thesacred altar of his country. That, if statues were decreed in Britain, as inancient Greece and Rome, to public benefactors, this shining citizen wouldassuredly have had one. That, as they were not so decreed, he probably wouldnot have one. That, Virtue, as had been observed by the poets (in manypassages which he well knew the jury would have, word for word, at the tipsof their tongues; whereat the jury's countenances displayed a guiltyconsciousness that they knew nothing about the passages), was in a mannercontagious; more especially the bright virtue known as patriotism, or loveof country. That, the lofty example of this immaculate and unimpeachablewitness for the Crown, to refer to whom however unworthily was an honour,had communicated itself to the prisoner's servant, and had engendered in hima holy determination to examine his master's table-drawers and pockets, andsecrete his papers. That, he (Mr. Attorney-General) was prepared to hearsome disparagement attempted of this admirable servant; but that, in ageneral way, he preferred him to his (Mr. Attorney-General's) brothers andsisters, and honoured him more than his (Mr. Attorney-General's) father andmother. That, he called with confidence on the jury to come and do likewise.

　　That, the evidence of these two witnesses, coupled with the documents oftheir discovering that would be produced, would show the prisoner to havebeen furnished with lists of his Majesty's forces, and of their dispositionand preparation, both by sea and land, and would leave no doubt that he hadhabitually conveyed such information to a hostile power. That, these listscould not be proved to be in the prisoner's handwriting; but that it was allthe same; that, indeed, it was rather the better for the prosecution, asshowing the prisoner to be artful in his precautions. That, the proof wouldgo back five years, and would show the prisoner already engaged in thesepernicious missions, within a few weeks before the date of the very firstaction fought between the British troops and the Americans. That, for thesereasons, the jury, being a loyal jury (as he knew they were), and being aresponsible jury (as they knew they were), must positively find the prisonerGuilty, and make an end of him, whether they liked it or not. That, theynever could lay their heads upon their pillows; that, they never couldtolerate the idea of their wives laying their heads upon their pillows;that, they never could endure the notion of their children laying theirheads upon their pillows; in short, that there never more could be, for themor theirs, any laying of heads upon pillows at all, unless the prisoner'shead was taken off. That head Mr. Attorney-General concluded by demanding ofthem, in the name of everything he could think of with a round turn in it,and on the faith of his solemn asseveration that he already considered theprisoner as good as dead and gone.

　　When the Attorney-General ceased, a buzz arose in the court as if a cloudof great blue-flies were swarming about the prisoner, in anticipation ofwhat he was soon to become. When toned down again, the unimpeachable patriotappeared in the witness-box.

　　Mr. Solicitor-General then, following his leader's lead, examined thepatriot: John Barsad, gentleman, by name. The story of his pure soul wasexactly what Mr. Attorney-General had described it to be-perhaps, if it hada fault, a little too exactly. Having released his noble bosom of itsburden, he would have modestly withdrawn himself, but that the wiggedgentleman with the papers before him, sitting not far from Mr. Lorry, beggedto ask him a few questions. The wigged gentleman sitting opposite, stilllooking at the ceiling of the court.

　　Had he ever been a spy himself? No, he scorned the base insinuation. Whatdid he live upon? His property. Where was his property? He didn't preciselyremember where it was. What was it? No business of anybody's. Had heinherited it? Yes, he had. From whom? Distant relation. Very distant?

　　Rather. Ever been in prison? Certainly not. Never in a debtors' prison?

　　Didn't see what that had to do with it. Never in a debtors' prison?--Come,once again. Never? Yes. How many times? Two or three times. Not five or six?

　　Perhaps. Of what profession? Gentleman. Ever been kicked? Might have been.

　　Frequently? No. Ever kicked down-stairs? Decidedly not; once received a kickon the top of a staircase, and fell down-stairs of his own accord. Kicked onthat occasion for cheating at dice? Something to that effect was said by theintoxicated liar who committed the assault, but it was not true. Swear itwas not true? Positively. Ever live by cheating at play? Never. Ever live byplay? Not more than other gentlemen do. Ever borrow money of the prisoner?

　　Yes. Ever pay him? No. Was not this intimacy with the prisoner, in reality avery slight one, forced upon the prisoner in coaches, inns, and packets? No.

　　Sure he saw the prisoner with these lists? Certain. Knew no more about thelists? No. Had not procured them himself, for instance? No. Expect to getanything by this evidence? No. Not in regular government pay and employment,to lay traps? Oh dear no. Or to do anything? Oh dear no. Swear that? Overand over again. No motives but motives of sheer patriotism? None whatever.

　　The virtuous servant, Roger Cly, swore his way through the case at a greatrate. He had taken service with the prisoner, in good faith and simplicity,four years ago. He had asked the prisoner, aboard the Calais packet, if hewanted a handy fellow, and the prisoner had engaged him. He had not askedthe prisoner to take the handy fellow as an act of charity--never thought ofsuch a thing. He began to have suspicions of the prisoner, and to keep aneye upon him, soon afterwards. In arranging his clothes, while travelling,he had seen similar lists to these in the prisoner's pockets, over and overagain. He had taken these lists from the drawer of the prisoner's desk. Hehad not put them there first. He had seen the prisoner show these identicallists to French gentlemen at Calais, and similar lists to French gentlemen,both at Calais and Boulogne. He loved his country, and couldn't bear it, andhad given information. He had never been suspected of stealing a silver tea-pot; he had been maligned respecting a mustard-pot, but it turned out to beonly a plated one. He had known the last witness seven or eight years; thatwas merely a coincidence. He didn't call it a particularly curiouscoincidence; most coincidences were curious. Neither did he call it acurious coincidence that true patriotism was his only motive too. He was atrue Briton, and hoped there were many like him.

　　The blue-flies buzzed again, and Mr. Attorney-General called Mr. JarvisLorry.

　　`Mr. Jarvis Lorry, are you a clerk in Tellson's bank?'

　　`I am.'

　　`On a certain Friday night in November one thousand seven hundred andseventy-five, did business occasion you to travel between London and Doverby the mail?'

　　`It did.'

　　`Were there any other passengers in the mail?'

　　`Two.'

　　`Did they alight on the road in the course of the night?'

　　`They did.'