Page:Legends of Rubezahl, and Other Tales (1845).djvu/133

 unmercifully, tied him neck and heels, and robbed him of his purse?”—“I never saw this Jew before; I have neither beaten him, nor bound him, nor robbed him. I am an honest freeman of my company, and no highway robber.”—“How canst thou prove all this?”—“By my certificates.”—“Let us see them.”

Benedict opened his wallet with the utmost confidence, for he felt quite certain that it contained nothing that was not his own property. What was his alarm, on throwing out the first handful of things, to hear the clink of gold as it fell upon the floor among them. The officers instantly ran up, and turning over Benedict’s shirts and stockings, found a heavy purse, which the Jew eagerly claimed as his property, and took possession of, deductis deducendis, all fees and expenses being first handed over to justice. The poor tailor was thunder-struck, ready to sink into the earth; he turned ghastly pale; his lips convulsively quivered; his knees shook; his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth; he became quite speechless. The brow of the judge clouded over, and his threatening countenance foretold a severe sentence. “Wretch!” thundered he, “wilt thou now dare to deny thy guilt?”—“Mercy! mercy! my lord!” whimpered the poor fellow, throwing himself on his knees, and raising his clasped hands in supplication; “I call all the saints in Paradise to witness, I am innocent of this robbery. How the