Electronic Book page

Would you now, knowing this--that you
would be transported in this world, and damned in the next--would you, I
say, take an oath upon this book and break it?"
"No, sir, not after what you said."
"Well, then, I am a magistrate, and I wish to administer an oath to
you."
"Very well, sir, I'll swear whatever you like."
"Then listen--take the book in your right hand--you shall swear the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God! You
swear to execute whatever duty I may happen to require at your hands,
and to keep the performance of that duty a secret from every living
mortal, and besides to keep secret the fact that I am in any way
connected with it--you swear this?"
"I do, sir," replied the other, kissing the book.
The baronet paused a little.
"Very well," he added, "consider yourself solemnly sworn, and pray
recollect that if you violate this oath--in other words, if you
commit perjury, I shall have you transported as sure as your name is
Gillespie."
"But your honor has sworn me to secrecy, and yet I don't know the
secret.


Pages:
260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284