ironmonger remembered that it was Matyko who had chosen the caldron
and taken it with him; so Gaspar one day sent for the servant, gave him
a good dinner with plenty of wine, and began to question him about
Pal's last days, introducing the incident of the caldron, the bill for
which the ironmonger had just sent him he said.

"What about it, Matyko," he asked. "Did your master really order it? I
can hardly believe it, for what could he have wanted it for? I'm afraid
you have been buying things for yourself, in your master's name."

That was the very way to make Matyko speak, to doubt his honor; and now
he let out the whole story in order to clear himself. The day before his
death, his master had told him to go and buy a caldron, and bring it
him, together with two masons. He had done as he was told, and toward
evening had taken the caldron into his master's bedroom; the masons had
arrived at the same time, and had seen the caldron, so they could bear
witness to the fact.

"Well, that's right, Matyko, you're a lucky fellow, for if you have two
witnesses, your honor is as intact as ever, and you must consider my
words as unspoken. Drink another glass of wine, and don't be offended at
my suspicion; after all, it was only a natural conclusion; we could find
no traces of the caldron, and the ironmonger wanted to be paid for it,
and said you had taken it away. Where can it have got to?"

"Heaven only knows," answered Matyko.

"Did you never see it again?"

"Never."

"And what became of the masons? What did they come for?"

"I don't know."

Gaspar smiled pleasantly at the man.

"You are like 'John Don't-know' in the fairy tale. He always answered,
'I don't know' to everything that was asked him. Of course you don't
know the two witnesses either who could establish your innocence? In
that case, my good fellow, you're no better off than you were before."

"But I do know one of them."

"What is his name?"

"Oh, I don't know his name."

"Well, how do you know him, then?"

"He has three hairs at the end of his nose."

"Rubbish! He may have cut them off since then."

"I should know him all the same by his face; it is just like an owl's."

"And where did you pick up the two masons?"

"They were mending the wall of the parish church."

By degrees Gaspar Gregorics got all particulars out of the man; and now
the ground seemed to be burning under his feet, so he went straight into
the town to look for the man wit