"Listen," I said, "Simon and
Andrew. Your sentence has been pronounced, and will certainly be executed
unless you can avail yourself of the condition I now offer. You shall have
three minutes; if in that time either of you can make a good joke, he
shall go free. If not, let a man attend to the bellows, La Trape!"
This added a fresh satisfaction to my neighbors, who were well assured now
that I had not promised them a novel entertainment without good grounds;
for the grimaces of the two knaves thus bidden to jest if they would save
their skins, were so diverting they would have made a nun laugh. They
looked at me with their eyes as wide as plates, and for the whole of the
time of grace never a word could they utter save howls for mercy. "Simon,"
I said gravely, when the time was up, "have you a joke? No. Andrew, my
friend, have you a joke? No. Then--"
I was going on to order the sentence to be carried out, when the innkeeper
flung himself again upon his knees, and cried out loudly--as much to my
astonishment as to the regret of the bystanders, who were bent on seeing
so strange a shoeing feat--"One word, my lord; I can give you no joke, but
I can do a service, an eminent service to the king. I can disclose a
conspiracy!"
I was somewhat taken aback by this sudden and public announcement. But I
had been too long in the king's employment not to have remarked how
strangely things are brought to light.
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