remain here; and now I will just tell you, in so many words, what you
have half confessed to me--you knew of the unloading of the wagons, and,
more, you had an interest in the carriers remaining behind; and in
short, you and the landlord are in the same boat. After what you have
now said, I shall not let you go till I know all. You shall either come
with me to my room, and there freely confess, or I will take you to the
soldiers, and have you examined by them."

Tinkeles was annihilated. "God of my fathers, it is fearful--it is
fearful!" whined he, and his teeth chattered.

Anton felt compassion for his great terror, and said, "Come with me,
Tinkeles, and I promise you that if you make a candid confession nothing
shall be done to you."

"What shall I confess to the gentleman?" groaned Tinkeles; "I, who have
nothing to confess."

"If you will not come at once, I call the soldiers," said Anton,
roughly.

"No soldiers," implored Tinkeles, shuddering again. "I will come with
you, and will tell you what I know, if you will promise to betray me to
no one, not to your principal, not to Mausche Fischel, and not either to
the wicked man, the landlord, and not to any soldiers."

"Come," said Anton, pointing down the street. And so he led away the
reluctant Tinkeles like a prisoner, and never took his eyes off him,
fearing that he would follow the suggestions of his evil conscience, and
run off down some side street. The Galician, however, had not courage to
do this, but crept along by Anton, looked toward him every now and then,
sighing deeply, and gurgled out unintelligible words. Arrived at Anton's
lodging, he began of his own accord: "It has been a weight on my
heart--I have not been able to sleep--I have not been able to eat or
drink; and whenever I ran here or there on business, it has lain on my
soul just as a stone does in a glass--when one tries to drink, the stone
falls against the teeth, and the water spills. Alas! what have I not
spilled!"

"Go on," said Anton, again mollified by the candid confession.

"I came here on account of the wagons," continued Tinkeles, looking
timidly at Anton. "Mausche has dealt with your firm for ten years, and
always uprightly, and you have made a good sum of money out of him, and
so he thought that the time was come when he might do a business of his
own, and settle his account with you. And when the uproar began, he came
to me and said, 'Schmeie,' said he, 'you are not afraid,'