40 BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.
" Yes," replied the poor creature.
"You hear, Jew? You shall see how just I am, how generous are my brother councillors. What have you to say?"
" May I ask your witness, my unhappy brother, a ques- tion ?"
" You may."
" Did I advise anything but gentle submission to the new Governor a careful observance of the law ? "
" No," said the wretch. " Oh, God forgive me ! "
" Stand up, Judas," said the Governor. " That meant,
- 'Be careful how you rebel, but rebel ; don't do it in the
open day light; but the Governor Petronovitch is unworthy of his position ; he is a tyrant. His Imperial Majesty has sent amongst you an unjust and cruel officer ; rebel against him, but have a care, do it secretly.' You, Losinski, are a cut-throat Jew a rebel, a traitor to the State and for this I will make an example of you. You are condemned to receive fifty blows of the knout in the public place of execution ! Officers, remove him and let his punishment take place with all convenient speed ; direct the Commander of the District Prison to attend us at the Palace of the Government within the hour."
Losinski staggered under the sentence and turned pale to the very lips.
" Mercy ! mercy ! " he cried ; " do not condemn me on the evidence of a miserable wretch such as this."
He pointed to the suborned witness as he spoke, and the poor creature turned away his head and sobbed.
" Why ask me for mercy," said the Governor with a cruel sneer, " since I am a tyrant, without pity, without remorse ? "
" I did not say so," the rabbi replied, "and whatever I said was in the cause of peace."
" It is in the same cause that thou art condemned.'*
