the mysterious stranger-第6节

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along。　　He　asked　us　how　the　lesson　was　getting　along；　and　we　told　him　it
was　about　done。　　And　maybe　it　was　so；　we　didn't　know　anything　about　it；
but　we　judged　it　would　please　him；　and　it　did；　and　didn't　cost　us
anything。




Chapter　5

On　the　fourth　day　comes　the　astrologer　from　his　crumbling　old　tower　up
the　valley；　where　he　had　heard　the　news；　I　reckon。　　He　had　a　private　talk
with　us；　and　we　told　him　what　we　could；　for　we　were　mightily　in　dread　of
him。　　He　sat　there　studying　and　studying　awhile　to　himself；　then　he
asked：

〃How　many　ducats　did　you　say？〃

〃Eleven　hundred　and　seven；　sir。〃

Then　he　said；　as　if　he　were　talking　to　himself：　〃It　is　ver…y　singular。
Yes。。。　　very　strange。　　A　curious　coincidence。〃　　Then　he　began　to　ask
questions；　and　went　over　the　whole　ground　from　the　beginning；　we
answering。　　By　and　by　he　said：　〃Eleven　hundred　and　six　ducats。　　It　is　a
large　sum。〃

〃Seven；〃　said　Seppi；　correcting　him。

〃Oh；　seven；　was　it？　　Of　course　a　ducat　more　or　less　isn't　of　consequence；
but　you　said　eleven　hundred　and　six　before。〃

It　would　not　have　been　safe　for　us　to　say　he　was　mistaken；　but　we　knew　he
was。　　Nikolaus　said；　〃We　ask　pardon　for　the　mistake；　but　we　meant　to　say
seven。〃

〃Oh；　it　is　no　matter；　lad；　it　was　merely　that　I　noticed　the　discrepancy。
It　is　several　days；　and　you　cannot　be　expected　to　remember　precisely。
One　is　apt　to　be　inexact　when　there　is　no　particular　circumstance　to
impress　the　count　upon　the　memory。〃

〃But　there　was　one；　sir；〃　said　Seppi；　eagerly。

〃What　was　it；　my　son？〃　asked　the　astrologer；　indifferently。

〃First；　we　all　counted　the　piles　of　coin；　each　in　turn；　and　all　made　it
the　sameeleven　hundred　and　six。　　But　I　had　slipped　one　out；　for　fun；
when　the　count　began；　and　now　I　slipped　it　back　and　said；　'I　think　there
is　a　mistakethere　are　eleven　hundred　and　seven；　let　us　count　again。'
We　did；　and　of　course　I　was　right。　　They　were　astonished；　then　I　told　how
it　came　about。〃

The　astrologer　asked　us　if　this　was　so；　and　we　said　it　was。

〃That　settles　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I　know　the　thief　now。　　Lads；　the　money　was
stolen。〃

Then　he　went　away；　leaving　us　very　much　troubled；　and　wondering　what　he
could　mean。　　In　about　an　hour　we　found　out；　for　by　that　time　it　was　all
over　the　village　that　Father　Peter　had　been　arrested　for　stealing　a　great
sum　of　money　from　the　astrologer。　　Everybody's　tongue　was　loose　and
going。　　Many　said　it　was　not　in　Father　Peter's　character　and　must　be　a
mistake；　but　the　others　shook　their　heads　and　said　misery　and　want　could
drive　a　suffering　man　to　almost　anything。　　About　one　detail　there　were　no
differences；　all　agreed　that　Father　Peter's　account　of　how　the　money　came
into　his　hands　was　just　about　unbelievableit　had　such　an　impossible
look。　　They　said　it　might　have　come　into　the　astrologer's　hands　in　some
such　way；　but　into　Father　Peter's；　never！　　Our　characters　began　to　suffer
now。　　We　were　Father　Peter's　only　witnesses；　how　much　did　he　probably　pay
us　to　back　up　his　fantastic　tale？　　People　talked　that　kind　of　talk　to　us
pretty　freely　and　frankly；　and　were　full　of　scoffings　when　we　begged　them
to　believe　really　we　had　told　only　the　truth。　　Our　parents　were　harder　on
us　than　any　one　else。　　Our　fathers　said　we　were　disgracing　our　families；
and　they　commanded　us　to　purge　ourselves　of　our　lie；　and　there　was　no
limit　to　their　anger　when　we　continued　to　say　we　had　spoken　true。　　Our
mothers　cried　over　us　and　begged　us　to　give　back　our　bribe　and　get　back
our　honest　names　and　save　our　families　from　shame；　and　come　out　and
honorably　confess。　　And　at　last　we　were　so　worried　and　harassed　that　we
tried　to　tell　the　whole　thing；　Satan　and　allbut　no；　it　wouldn't　come
out。　　We　were　hoping　and　longing　all　the　time　that　Satan　would　come　and
help　us　out　of　our　trouble；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　him。

Within　an　hour　after　the　astrologer's　talk　with　us；　Father　Peter　was　in
prison　and　the　money　sealed　up　and　in　the　hands　of　the　officers　of　the
law。　　The　money　was　in　a　bag；　and　Solomon　Isaacs　said　he　had　not　touched
it　since　he　had　counted　it；　his　oath　was　taken　that　it　was　the　same
money；　and　that　the　amount　was　eleven　hundred　and　seven　ducats。　　Father
Peter　claimed　trial　by　the　ecclesiastical　court；　but　our　other　priest；
Father　Adolf；　said　an　ecclesiastical　court　hadn't　jurisdiction　over　a
suspended　priest。　　The　bishop　upheld　him。　　That　settled　it；　the　case
would　go　to　trial　in　the　civil　court。　　The　court　would　not　sit　for　some
time　to　come。　　Wilhelm　Meidling　would　be　Father　Peter's　lawyer　and　do　the
best　he　could；　of　course；　but　he　told　us　privately　that　a　weak　case　on
his　side　and　all　the　power　and　prejudice　on　the　other　made　the　outlook
bad。

So　Marget's　new　happiness　died　a　quick　death。　　No　friends　came　to　condole
with　her；　and　none　were　expected；　an　unsigned　note　withdrew　her
invitation　to　the　party。　　There　would　be　no　scholars　to　take　lessons。
How　could　she　support　herself？　　She　could　remain　in　the　house；　for　the
mortgage　was　paid　off；　though　the　government　and　not　poor　Solomon　Isaacs
had　the　mortgage…money　in　its　grip　for　the　present。　　Old　Ursula；　who　was
cook；　chambermaid；　housekeeper；　laundress；　and　everything　else　for　Father
Peter；　and　had　been　Marget's　nurse　in　earlier　years；　said　God　would
provide。　　But　she　said　that　from　habit；　for　she　was　a　good　Christian。
She　meant　to　help　in　the　providing；　to　make　sure；　if　she　could　find　a
way。

We　boys　wanted　to　go　and　see　Marget　and　show　friendliness　for　her；　but
our　parents　were　afraid　of　offending　the　community　and　wouldn't　let　us。
The　astrologer　was　going　around　inflaming　everybody　against　Father　Peter；
and　saying　he　was　an　abandoned　thief　and　had　stolen　eleven　hundred　and
seven　gold　ducats　from　him。　　He　said　he　knew　he　was　a　thief　from　that
fact；　for　it　was　exactly　the　sum　he　had　lost　and　which　Father　Peter
pretended　he　had　〃found。〃

In　the　afternoon　of　the　fourth　day　after　the　catastrophe　old　Ursula
appeared　at　our　house　and　asked　for　some　washing　to　do；　and　begged　my
mother　to　keep　this　secret；　to　save　Marget's　pride；　who　would　stop　this
project　if　she　found　it　out；　yet　Marget　had　not　enough　to　eat　and　was
growing　weak。　　Ursula　was　growing　weak　herself；　and　showed　it；　and　she
ate　of　the　food　that　was　offered　her　like　a　starving　person；　but　could
not　be　persuaded　to　carry　any　home；　for　Marget　would　not　eat　charity
food。　　She　took　some　clothes　down　to　the　stream　to　wash　them；　but　we　saw
from　the　window　that　handling　the　bat　was　too　much　for　her　strength；　so
she　was　called　back　and　a　trifle　of　money　offered　her；　which　she　was
afraid　to　take　lest　Marget　should　suspect；　then　she　took　it；　saying　she
would　explain　that　she　found　it　in　the　road。　　To　keep　it　from　being　a　lie
and　damning　her　soul；　she　got　me　to　drop　it　while　she　watched；　then　she
went　along　by　there　and　found　it；　and　exclaimed　with　surprise　and　joy；
and　picked　it　up　and　went　her　way。　　Like　the　rest　of　the　village；　she
could　tell　every…day　lies　fast　enough　and　without　taking　any　precautions
against　fire　and　brimstone　on　their　account；　but　this　was　a　new　kind　of
lie；　and　it　had　a　dangerous　look　because　she　hadn't　had　any　practice　in
it。　　After　a　week's　practice　it　wouldn't　have　given　her　any　trouble。　　It
is　the　way　we　are　made。

I　was　in　trouble；　for　how　would　Marget　live？　　Ursula　could　not　find　a
coin　in　the　road　every　dayperhaps　not　even　a　second　one。　　And　I　was
ashamed；　too；　for　not　having　been　near　Marget；　and　she　so　in　need　of
friends；　but　that　was　my　parents'　fault；　not　mine；　and　I　couldn't　help
it。

I　was　walking　along　the　path；　feeling　very　down…hearted；　when　a　most
cheery　and　tingling　freshening…up　sensation　went　rippling　through　me；　and
I　was　too　glad　for　any　words；　for　I　knew　by　that　sign　that　Satan　was　by。
I　had　noticed　it　before。　　Next　moment　he　was　alongside　of　me　and　I　was
telling　him　all　my　trouble　and　what　had　been　happening　to　Marget　and　her
uncle。　　While　we　were　talking　we　turned　a　curve　and　saw　old　Ursula
resting　in　the　shade　of　a　tree；　and　she　had　a　lean　stray　kitten　in　her
lap　and　was　petting　it。　　I　asked　her　where　she　got　it；　and　she　said　it
came　out　of　the　woods　and　followed　her；　and　she　said　it　probably　hadn't
any　mother　or　any　friends　and　she　was　going　to　take　it　home　and　take　care
of　it。　　Satan　said：

〃I　understand　you　are　very　poor。　　Why　do　you　want　to　add　another　mouth　to
feed？　　Why　don't　you　give　it　to　some　rich　person？〃

Ursula　bridled　at　this　and　said：　〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　have　it。　　You
must　be　rich；　with　your　fine　clothes　and　quality　airs。〃　　Then　she　sniffed
and　said：　〃Give　it　to　the　richthe　idea！　　The　rich　don't　care　for
anybody　but　themselves；　it's　only　the　poor　that　have　feeling　for　the
poor；　and　help　them。　　The　poor　and　God。　　God　will　provide　for　this
kitten。〃

〃What　makes　you　think　so？〃

Ursula's　eyes　snapped　with　anger。　　〃Because　I　know　it！〃　she　said。　　〃Not　a
sparrow　falls　to　the　ground　without　His　seeing　it。〃

〃But　it　falls；　just　the　same。　　What　good　is　seeing　it　fall？〃

Old　Ursula's　jaws　worked；　but　she　could　not　get　any　word　out　for　the
moment；　she　was　so　horrified。　　When　she　got　her　tongue；　she　stormed　out；
〃Go　about　your　business；　you　puppy；　or　I　will　take　a　stick　to　you！〃

I　could　not　spe