The Mysterious Stranger, and Other Stories

heard the news, I reckon. He had a private talk with us, and we told him what we could, for we w

ducats did

ndred and

curious coincidence." Then he began to ask questions, and went over the whole ground from the

d Seppi, cor

ore or less isn't of consequence, but y

staken, but we knew he was. Nikolaus said, "We ask

eral days, and you cannot be expected to remember precisely. One is apt to be inex

one, sir," said

n?" asked the astro

ne out, for fun, when the count began, and now I slipped it back and said, 'I think there is a mistake-there are eleven hund

d us if this was so

. "I know the thief now. L

ey came into his hands was just about unbelievable-it 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 disgra

oney, 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

? 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 ev

rologer was going around inflaming everybody against Father Peter, and saying he was an abandoned thief and had stolen eleven hundred and seven gold d

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; the

ay-perhaps not even a second one. And I was ashamed, too, for not having been near Marget, an

xt 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 kitt

you want to add another mouth to feed? W

lity airs." Then she sniffed and said: "Give it to the rich-the idea! The rich don't care for anybody but themselves;

kes you

e I know it!" she said. "Not a sparrow fa

the same. What goo

moment, she was so horrified. When she got her tongue, she stormed ou

nd indifferent. I suppose he could not be insulted by Ursula any more than the king could be insulted by a tumble-bug. The old woman jumped to her feet when she made her remark, and did it as briskly as a young girl. It had been many years since she had done the like of that. That was Satan's in

she said. "Awhile ago

kitten of that bree

im an ungentle look and retorted: "Who asked you to come here and pester me, I'd

the hair-spines on its tongue

you, e

ine this on

tten was spryer, and she could not catch

me, and maybe

names, but the kitt

Agnes.

ined its tongue. "Upon my word, it's true!" she said. "

N

you know its

eed are named Agnes; they wi

et it go; I am not afraid-no, not exactly that, though the priest-well, I've heard people-indeed, many people... And, besides, it is quite well now and can take care of itself." She sighed, and turned to go,

y not to keep i

as if she were hoping som

e asked,

is breed br

man, do you know it to be tr

brings mon

e idea! You could never sell it here; people do not buy c

t. This kind is called the Lucky Cat. Its owner fin

er was all up, and hot. Her mouth came open and let out three words of a bitter sentence,... then it fell silent, and the anger in her face turned to surprise or wonder or fear, or something, and she slowly brought out her ha

ear master and benefactor!" And she ran to Satan and kissed h

ract and furnish a daily good living for the family, for in matters of finance even the piousest of our peasants would have more confidence in an arran

as not true; no door was open; we entered through the walls or the roof or down the chimney, or somehow; but no matter, what Satan wished a person to believe, the person was sure to believe, and so Marget was quite satisfied with that explanation. And then the main part of her mind was on Traum, anyway; she couldn't keep her eyes off him, he was so beautiful. That gratified me, and made me proud. I hoped he would show off some, but he didn't. He seemed only interested in being friendly and telling lies. He said he was an orphan. That made Marget pity him. The water came into her

aid Marget. "Does yo

ll about; he has b

could see her uncle, that was the capstone. He said he would give the guards a little present, and she must always go in the evening after dark, and say nothing, "but just show this paper and pass in, and show it again when you come out"-and he scribbled some queer marks on the paper and gave it to her, and she was ever so thankful, and right away was in a fever for the sun to go down; fo

wouldn't be any more dividends. So I said we wouldn't tell, and she was satisfied. Then I was beginning to say good-by to Marget, but Satan interrupted and said, ever so politely-well, I don't remember just the words, but anyway he as good as invited himself to supper, and me, too. Of course Marget was miserably embarrassed, for she had no reason to su

o Ursula in her own language-which was a surprise to her, and for her

s,

stepped to her and whispered: "I told you it is

s augmenting. It was getting full time for Marget to take some sort of notice of Satan's invitation, and she did it in the best way

rises: flesh and game and wines and fruits-things which had been strangers in that house lately; but Marget made no exclamations, and now even looked unsurprised, which was Satan's influence, of course. Satan talked right along, and was entertaining, and made the time pass pleasantly and cheerfully; and although he told a good many lies, it was no harm in him, for he was only an angel and did not know any better. They do not know right from wrong; I knew this, because I remembered what he had said about it. He got on the good side of Ursula. He praised her to Marget, confidentially, but

a gentleman, isn'

a Prince, out of compliment, but he is not bigoted;

rted to say, "It is all a mistake; this is just a common, ordinary cat; the hair-needles on her tongue point i

er instruments, and there was a smoky lantern or two hanging on the walls and helping to make the place look dim and dreadful. There were people there-and executioners-but as they took no notice of us, it meant that we were invisible. A young man lay bound, and Satan said he was suspected of being a heretic, and the executioners were about to inquire into it. They ask

se. When a brute inflicts pain he does it innocently; it is not wrong; for him there is no such thing as wrong. And he does not inflict pain for the pleasure of inflicting it-only man does that. Inspired by that mongrel Moral Sense of his! A sense whose function is to distinguish between right and wrong, with liberty to choose which of them he will do. Now what advantage can he get out of