Summary

Chapters 4-7

Chapter 4

Jakob Kuisl goes to visit Martha Stechlin, informing her that the council has agreed to torture her for a confession. Jakob assures Martha that he believes she is innocent and is looking for the real murderer, but he is afraid he will not be able to prove her innocence in time to protect her from torture. Martha tells Jakob about the last time the orphan children came to see her. Afterward, Jakob goes to Martha’s house to look for evidence, but the house has been ransacked and little remains to help the investigation.

Simon Fronwieser has an argument with his father because his father is unhappy with Simon’s relationship with the hangman. Afterward, Simon is walking in the streets when he runs into a group of children taunting a young orphan girl named Sophie. Sophie is known to...