the city. He wandered on hardly knowing
where he went, and his face was so white and desperate that none of his
companions dared speak to him. The sad little procession had passed some
hours in this manner, when, near the gate of a monastery, an old woman
appeared round a corner, and suddenly stood before the young man. She
was bent almost double, and was so wizened and wrinkled that she looked
at least ninety; only her eyes were bright and quick as those of a girl.

'Sir,' she said, 'I know all that has happened to you, and how you are
seeking if in any wise you can save your life. But there is none that
can answer that question save only I myself, if you will promise to do
all I ask.'

At her words the prisoner felt as if a load had all at once been rolled
off him.

'Oh, save me, and I will do anything!' he cried. 'It is so hard to leave
the world and go out into the darkness.'

'You will not need to do that,' answered the old woman, 'you have only
got to marry me, and you will soon be free.'

'Marry you?' exclaimed he, 'but--but--I am not yet twenty, and you
--why, you must be a hundred at least! Oh, no, it is quite impossible.'

He spoke without thinking, but the flash of anger which darted from her
eyes made him feel uncomfortable. However, all she said was:

'As you like; since you reject me, let the crows have you,' and hurried
away down the street.

Left to himself, the full horror of his coming death rushed upon the
young man, and he understood that he had thrown away his sole chance of
life. Well, if he must, he must, he said to himself, and began to run as
fast as he could after the old crone, who by this time could scarcely be
seen, even in the moonlight. Who would have believed a woman past ninety
could walk with such speed? It seemed more like flying! But at length,
breathless and exhausted, he reached her side, and gasped out:

'Madam, pardon me for my hasty words just now; I was wrong, and will
thankfully accept the offer you made me.'

'Ah, I thought you would come to your senses,' answered she, in rather
an odd voice. 'We have no time to lose--follow me at once,' and they
went on silently and swiftly till they stopped at the door of a small
house in which the priest lived. Before him the old woman bade the
prisoner swear that she should be his wife, and this he did in the
presence of witnesses. Then, begging the priest and the guards to leave
them alone for a little, she told the young man w