"Oh!" exclaimed Prince Ferdinand, "I am the most wretched of human beings."
"And ye may say that, for I don't see any great hope ye have, in respect that the people must have a victim, and they'd like you better than Lord Edmund. But never mind that, for the worst that can happen at all, is that ye'll be roasted alive!"
"Oh!" groaned Prince Ferdinand, not much consoled by this encouraging speech.
"Wehe mir!" exclaimed Hans; "and can nothing be done?—for though roasting alive may be the worst that can happen, I don't think my master such an amateur in cookery as to wish to try the experiment."
"Och!" cried Father Murphy, "and I'm quite of your opinion; and so, if the prince would just try, and get ready a word or two of defence—or if some clever person that knows the world like yere lordship, for instance, would just give him a word or two of advice—the thing would be entirely done, and all right."
"0h!" cried the prince, clasping his hands together, "save me! I implore you to save me!"
