"Eat up that plate of soup." The man turned pale.
"Your highness will observe," he stammered, "that you have already told me that one of these dishes is poisoned.

I cannot say which, and whichever I eat may be the fatal one." The rajah made a signal to him to obey his orders, but Charlie interposed.
"There is something in what he says, your highness.

Whether the man is innocent or guilty, he would shrink equally from eating any of them.
It is really possible that he may know nothing of it.

The poison may have been introduced into the materials beforehand.

If the man is taken to a dungeon, I think I could suggest a plan by which we could test him.
"I believe him to be guilty," he said, when the prisoner had been removed.
"Then why not let him be beheaded at once ?" the rajah asked.
"I would rather let ten guilty men escape," Charlie replied, "than run the risk of putting one innocent one to death.