"No, peddler!" he said, "you may go, but it must be with me. To the
magistrate you must go, and that right speedily. The innocent must no
longer suffer in your rightful place. Come, Aza,"--to an attendant who
had been in the room--"your tongue may be needed to supplement mine."

The Jew's little eyes rolled around restlessly. He was a thorough
coward, and his teeth chattered with fear as he was half-dragged into
the blinding glare of the street, and down the long, crooked way, with a
crowd of beggars and saucy boys following in the wake of the trio. Once
or twice again he made a quick and sudden movement to elude the grasp of
his captors, but the priest's grip was firm and his muscle like steel.
Justice was in Yusuf's heart, and his anxiety to procure Nathan's
release was so great that he strode on, almost forgetting the poor
little Jew, who was obliged to keep up a constant hobbling run to save
himself from being dragged to the ground.

In the hall of justice the usual amount of questioning went on, but the
evidence afforded by the ring was so conclusive that the order for
Nathan's release and the peddler's imprisonment was soon given.

Yusuf accompanied the guards to Nathan's cell. The poor prisoner was
sitting on the bare clay with his head buried on his knee. An unusual
clamor sounded outside of the door. The heavy bolt was withdrawn, and
the next moment Yusuf rushed in, crying, "Free, Nathan, free!"

Nathan fell on the other's bosom. The sudden joy was too much for him,
and he could only lie, like a little child, sobbing on the breast of the
stalwart priest.