Now there was a lord in these times, who had a dearly beloved younger brother; and this brother was found dead one morning, lying near a hedge, from behind which the murderer must have sprung to strike him down. The lord ordered the murderer to be taken, if possible, and vowed that if he was found he should suffer a punishment for his crime. The very evening after his brother's death, when the lord was praying in his room, there entered his steward, Crondas, who said to him: "My lord, I have discovered your brother's murderer, and have had him brought here that he may appear before you." "Let him be brought to me," said the lord, "and if you see in me any signs of mercy, remind me of the crime he has committed, that I may punish him as he deserves." Crondas made a sign to the servants; and they brought in a peasant with a white, shocked face, who fell on his knees before his master, exclaiming: "Have mercy upon me, my lord! I swear to you I have committed no crime!" When the lord demanded of Crondas the proofs of the man's guilt, Crondas showed him a purse, saying: "My lord, if you are inclined to believe what this man says, I only beg you to ask the scoundrel how he happened to have in his house this purse, which belonged to your dead brother." "I recognize it," said the lord, with deep feeling. "And this, my lord, do you also recognize it?" said Crondas, showing him a gold ring. "Yes," said the lord again; "it is the ring my brother always wore on the ring finger of his left hand." "My lord," went on Crondas, "I found these things myself, in a hiding-place in this man's house. Now, does he dare say, on his knees, that he is innocent of the dreadful crime with which he is charged?" Not being able to explain the presence of the things in his house, the poor peasant was judged to be guilty, and condemned to be killed on the very spot where his victim's body had been found. While he lay in prison, waiting for his execution, all the peasants round about visited the lord and begged him not to punish the man. They all said of him—what we say when we wish to credit anyone with unusual kindness and gentleness: "We have known him long, my lord, and we know he would not even crush an insect in his path." But Crondas, who never left the lord, said to each one: "Bah! that is no reason why he should not kill a man; and if he is not punished, many others will be encouraged to be murderers. Let him suffer for his misdeeds." And to every effort the peasants made to put off the day of punishment, Crondas replied: "Ah, my lord, these people know how merciful you are. They think that, the first anguish of your grief once past, you will pardon the murderer." At this the lord never failed to cry: "No, no, never! He shall be punished." So the lord, urged by Crondas, ordered the men to prepare to execute the peasant, adding that he wished to be present, that he might see perish the wretch who had killed his brother.