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a peculiar fascination for him, and he speedily transferred it to his
person. He carried it to a town not far from the village, where he very
readily found a purchaser.
As if purposely to secure his punishment, it happened that the
storekeeper to whom he sold it proved to be a relative of one of the
court servants, and who, when he visited his friend on the next holiday,
related all about his purchase of the clock.
An investigation was immediately instituted, and all the details of
Polikey's transaction were brought to light and reported to his noble
mistress. He was called into her presence, and, when confronted with the
story of the theft, broke down and confessed all. He fell on his knees
before the noblewoman and plead with her for mercy. The kind-hearted
lady lectured him about God, the salvation of his soul, and his future
life. She talked to him also about the misery and disgrace he brought
upon his family, and altogether so worked upon his feelings that he
cried like a child. In conclusion his kind mistress said: "I will
forgive you this time on the condition that you promise faithfully to
reform, and never again to take what does not belong to you."
Polikey, still weeping, replied: "I will never steal again in all my
life, and if I break my promise may the earth open and swallow me up,
and let my body be burned with red-hot irons!"
Polikey returned to his home, and throwing himself on the oven spent the
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