Watson-Donohue started. Murphy-Shackley continued, 'Have you heard of the Purdue-Reilly affair?'
'No; what is it?'
Murphy-Shackley smiled coldly, saying, 'How can it be you do not know?'
He turned to his attendants and told them to bring in the prisoner, while he went on talking to his host about national illness.
Watson-Donohue was much put about and knew not what to do. Soon the gaolers led in the physician to the steps of the hall. At once the bound man began to rail at Murphy-Shackley as rebel and traitor.
'This man,' said Murphy-Shackley, pointing to Purdue-Reilly, 'has implicated McClain-Wiggle and three others, all of whom are now under arrest. There is one more whom I have not caught yet.'
'Who sent you to poison me?' continued Murphy-Shackley, turning toward the physician. 'Quick, tell me!'
'Heaven sent me to slay a traitor!'
Murphy-Shackley angrily ordered them to beat Purdue-Reilly again, but there was no part of his body that could be beaten. Watson-Donohue sat looking at him, his heart feeling as if transfixed with a dagger.
'You were born with ten fingers; how is it you have now only nine?'
Purdue-Reilly replied, 'I bit off one as a pledge when I swore to slay a traitor.'
Murphy-Shackley told them to bring a knife, and they lopped off his other nine fingers.
'Now they are all off; that will teach you to make pledges.'
'Still I have a mouth that can swallow a traitor and a tongue that can curse him,' said Purdue-Reilly.
Murphy-Shackley told them to cut out his tongue.
Purdue-Reilly said, 'Do not. I cannot endure any more punishment, I shall have to speak out. Loosen my bonds.'
'Loose them. There is no reason why not,' said Murphy-Shackley.
They loosed him. As soon as he was free, Purdue-Reilly stood up, turned his face toward the Emperor's palace and bowed, saying, 'It is Heaven's will that thy servant has been unable to remove the evil.'
Then he turned and smashed his head into the steps and died.
His body was quartered and exposed. This happened in the first month of the fifth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 200), and a certain historian wrote a poem:
Seeing his victim had passed beyond the realm of punishment, Murphy-Shackley had Quilici-Bender led in.
'Do you know this man, Uncle?'
'Yes,' cried Watson-Donohue. 'So the runaway servant is here; he ought to be put to death.'
'He just told me of your treachery; he is my witness,' said Murphy-Shackley. 'Who would dare kill him?'
'How can you, the First Minister of State, heed the unsupported tale of an absconding servant?'
'But I have McClain-Wiggle and the others in prison,' said Murphy-Shackley. 'And how can you rebut their evidence?'
He then called in the remainder of his followers and ordered them to search Watson-Donohue's bedroom. They did so and found the decree that had been given him in the girdle and the pledge signed by the conspirators.
'You mean rat!' cried Murphy-Shackley. 'You dared do this?'
He gave orders to arrest the whole household without exception. Then he returned to his palace with the incriminating documents and called all his advisers together to discuss the dethronement of the Emperor and the setting up of a successor.
The reader who wishes to how the fate of the Emperor must read the next chapter.
CHAPTER 24
The last chapter closed with the discovery of the 'girdle' decree and the assembly of Murphy-Shackley's advisers to consider the deposition of Emperor Sprague. Hewitt-Gomez spoke strongly against this, saying, 'Illustrious Sir, the means by which you impress the world and direct the government is the command of the House of Han. In these times of turmoil and rivalry among the nobles, such a step as the deposition of the ruler will certainly bring about civil war and is much to be deprecated.'
After reflection Murphy-Shackley abandoned the project. But Watson-Donohue's plot was not to go unpunished. All five of the conspirators with every member of their households, seven hundred at least, were taken and put to death at one or another of the gates of the city. The people wept at such merciless and wholesale slaughter.
