Part 38 (2/2)
”Pray consider my question. Is there any one to whom you said that some one wished to steal the notary's papers? We ought to know your a.s.sociates. Now, did you not speak to Peti the gipsy, or to that old hag, the Liptaka?”
Viola persisted in denying the fact. He was too well aware of the disastrous consequences this avowal would have for his friends.
Mr. Catspaw went on.
”Where did you hide at the time we pursued you in Tissaret?”
Viola replied that he was not in Tissaret.
”Do you mean to say you were not in the village?”
”No!”
The attorney sent for the old Liptaka, to whom he read her depositions, from which it appeared that the prisoner attempted to inform Tengelyi of the intended robbery.
”What do you say to this evidence?” added he.
”That it is true, every word of it. I'll swear to the truth of my words!” said she.
”Viola has confessed,” said Mr. Catspaw, ”that he told you of the matter, when hiding in the notary's house, while we pursued him through Tissaret. Is there any truth in this statement?”
The Liptaka, feeling convinced that Viola must have confessed as much, said it was quite true, but that Tengelyi was ignorant of the prisoner's presence. The old woman was sent away, and Mr. Catspaw, turning to the court, asked triumphantly:--
”Did you ever hear of such impertinence? The prisoner protests that he did not inform anybody of the alleged intended robbery; and the old woman swears that Viola did inform her, for the purpose of cautioning the notary. Then, again, the old woman did not say any thing to the notary, without having any ostensible reason for not doing what she alleges she promised to do. The prisoner will have it that he was not in Tissaret at the time we pursued him; and the witness--why, gentlemen, the witness deposes that the subject in question was mentioned to her at that very time. I say, you great fool! if you had time for another batch of lies, I would advise you to make out a better story. But let us go on. Who told you that the Jew and Tzifra intended to rob the notary?”
”I cannot answer that question,” replied Viola.
”Indeed? What a pity! I'd like to know the gentleman who gives you such correct information; unless, indeed, you keep a '_familiaris_,'--a devil, I mean.”
”The only thing I told you was, that I knew of the robbery.”
”But how did you know of it?”
”The Jew and Tzifra talked about it in the pot-house near Dustbury.”
”Were you present? Did you hear them?”
”No! I had it from a friend.”
”I'm sure it was your '_familiaris_,'--your devil, you artful dodger!”
said Mr. Catspaw, smiling; ”but since you knew that the robbery was to take place, why did you not inform the justice of it?”
”I was outlawed; a prize was offered for my head.”
”Indeed, so it was; but your friend, why did not he inform the proper authorities? Was he also _wanted_? and if so, why did he not inform Tengelyi, or Mr. Vandory, who I understand has likewise lost his papers?”
”I cannot tell you. Perhaps he did not find the notary. At all events, he knew that I would prevent the robbery, so he told me of it.”
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