200 LITTLE HUNCH-BACK.

with a light, and he went down stairs with her ; but when he
saw that what he had kicked down was a dead man, he was

 

most dreadfully frightened.‘ Unhappy man, that Iam!” said
he, “why did I attempt to come down without a light? I have
killed the poor fellow that was brought to me to be cured ;
questionless I am the cause of his death: Iam ruined; they
will be here out of hand, and drag me out of my house for a
murderer.” Notwithstanding the perplexity and jeopardy he
was in, he had the precaution to shut his door, for fear any one
passing by in the street should observe the mischance of which
he reckoned himself to be the author. ‘Then he took the
corpse into his wife's chamber, who was ready to swoon at the
sight. “Alas!” cried she, “ we are utterly ruined and undone,
unless we can fall upon some expedient to get the corpse out of
our house this night. Beyond all question, if we harbour it
till morning, our lives must pay for it. What a sad mischance