"Bear me up, bear me up, sweet sir, my legs do fail me! Be thou

merciful--spare me this doom, and I will turn my back and see nought that

shall happen."

Good! now thou'rt wise and reasonable. And thou'lt restore the pig?"

"I will, I will indeed--nor ever touch another, though heaven send it and

an archangel fetch it. Go--I am blind for thy sake--I see nothing. I

will say thou didst break in and wrest the prisoner from my hands by

force. It is but a crazy, ancient door--I will batter it down myself

betwixt midnight and the morning."

"Do it, good soul, no harm will come of it; the judge hath a loving

charity for this poor lad, and will shed no tears and break no jailer's

bones for his escape."

234

The Prince and The Pauper