P.T.had spoken, as I have said, of his connexion with the Wycherley volume.

The object of this statement was to get rid of an awkward bit of evidence.

But Curll now announced, on the authority of Gilliver, the publisher of the volume, that Pope had himself bought up the remaining sheets.

The inference was clear.

Unless the story could be contradicted, and it never was, Pope was himself the thief.