“Dear lord, I begged him on my knees to confess, but — ”

“You did ! It gets thicker and thicker. What did you want him to do that for?”

“Sith it would bring him a quick death and save him all this cruel pain.”

“Well — yes, there is reason in that. But he didn’t want the quick death.”

“He?

Why, of a surety he did .”

“Well, then, why in the world didn’t he confess?”

“Ah, sweet sir, and leave my wife and chick without bread and shelter?”

“Oh, heart of gold, now I see it! The bitter law takes the convicted man’s