LITTLE HUNCH-BACK. 205
that had passed in his house, by which means he supposed he
had killed Hunch-back, and concluded by saying, “ Pray
dismiss him, and put me in his place, for I alone am the cause
of the death of the little man.” The chief justice being
persuaded that the Jewish doctor was the murderer, gave
orders to the executioner to scize him and release the purveyor.
Accordingly, the doctor was just going to be hanged up, when
the tailor appeared, erying to the executioner to hold his hand,
and make room for him, that he might come and make his.

judge. Room being made—* My Lord,”
said he, “you have narrowly escaped taking away the lives of
three innocent persons, but if you will have the patience to
hear me, I will discover to you the real murderer of the crook~

 

  

   

 

    

backed man. If his death is to be expiated by another, that
rk.

must be mine. Yesterday, towards the evening, as 1 wasat
in my shop, and was disposed to be merry, the little Hun
back came to my door half-drunk, and sat down before it. He
sang a little, and so I invited him to pass the evening at
my house. He accepted of the invitation, and went in with
me. We sat down to supper, and I gave him a plate of fish ;
but in eating, a bone stuck in his throat : and though my wife
and I did our utmost to relieve him, he died in a few minutes.
His death afflicted us extremely ; and for fear of being charged
with it, we carried the corpse to the Jewish doctor's house,
and knocked at the door. ‘The maid coming down, and opening
the door, I desired her to go up again forthwith, and ask her
master to come down and give his advice to a sick person that
we had brought along with us: and withal, to encourage him,
I charged her to give him a piece of money which I had put
into her hand. When she was gone up again, I carried the
Hunch-back up stairs, and laid him upon the uppermost step,
and then my wife and I made the best of our way home. The
doctor coming down, made the corpse fall down stairs, and