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Cethru was glad to shuffle away, unnoticed, from the Court, and sitting down under a camel-date tree outside the City Wall, he thus reflected: "They were rough with me! I done nothin', so far's I can see!" And a long time he sat there with the bunches of the camel-dates above him, golden as the sunlight.
"My name is Cethru," replied the aged churl. "Cethru!" said the Prince. "Let it be your duty henceforth to walk with your lanthorn up and down this street all night and every night," and he looked at Cethru: "Do you understand, old man, what it is you have to do?"
A little advocate in snuff-coloured clothes rose on little legs, and commenced to read: "Forasmuch as on the seventeenth night of August fifteen hundred years since the Messiah's death, one Celestine, a maiden of this city, fell into a cesspool in the Vita Publica, and while being quietly drowned, was espied of the burgess Pardonix by the light of a lanthorn held by the old man Cethru; and, forasmuch as, plunging in, the said Pardonix rescued her, not without grave risk of life and the ruin, of his clothes, and to-day lies ill of fever; and forasmuch as the old man Cethru was the cause of these misfortunes to the burgess Pardonix, by reason of his wandering lanthorn's showing the drowning maiden, the Watch do hereby indict, accuse, and otherwise place charge upon this Cethru of 'Vagabondage without serious occupation.
Cethru, left alone in the dark thoroughfare, sighed heavily; then, spitting on his hands, he tightened the old girdle round his loins, and slinging the lanthorn on his staff, held it up to the level of his waist, and began to make his way along the street.
"These be the charges, reverend Judges, so please you!" And having thus spoken, the little advocate resumed his seat. Then said the oldest of the Judges: "Cethru, you have heard; what answer do you make?" But no word, only the chattering of teeth, came from Cethru. "Have you no defence?" said the Judge: "these are grave accusations!"
Cethru answered: "I were just passin' with my lanthorn!" "Tell us did you see the rat?" Cethru shook his head: "My lanthorn seed the rat, maybe!" he muttered. "Old owl!" said the Captain of the Watch: "Be careful what you say!
Then Cethru spoke: "So please your Highnesses," he said, "can I help what my lanthorn sees?" And having spoken these words, to all further questions he remained more silent than a headless man.
"That you have already told us," said the Captain of the Watch; "it is no answer." Cethru's leathern cheeks became wine-coloured, so desirous was he to speak, and so unable. And the Watch sneered and laughed, saying: "This is a fine witness." But of a sudden Cethru spoke: "What would I be duin' killin' rats; tidden my business to kill rats."
The cries swelled, and died away, and swelled; and the mazed Cethru moved forward on his way. But very near the end of his first traversage, the sound of a long, deep sighing, as of a fat man in spiritual pain, once more arrested him. "Drat me!" he thought, "this time I will see what 'tis," and he spun round and round, holding his lanthorn now high, now low, and to both sides.
The cries swelled, and died away, and swelled; and the mazed Cethru moved forward on his way. But very near the end of his first traversage, the sound of a long, deep sighing, as of a fat man in spiritual pain, once more arrested him. "Drat me!" he thought, "this time I will see what 'tis," and he spun round and round, holding his lanthorn now high, now low, and to both sides.
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