"Let me stir it," she said, "while you fetch a cup from the pantry-room."
So Caporushes stirred the gruel, and what did she do but slips young master's ring into it before the cook came back!
Then the butler took the cup upstairs on a silver salver. But when the young master saw it he waved it away, till the butler with tears begged him just to taste it.
So the young master took a silver spoon and stirred the gruel; and he felt something hard at the bottom of the cup. And when he fished it up, lo! it was his own ring! Then he sate up in bed and said quite loud, "Send for the cook!" And when she came he asked her who made the gruel.
"I did," she said, for she was half-pleased and half-frightened.
Then he looked at her all over and said, "No, you didn't! You're too stout! Tell me who made it and you shan't be harmed!"
Then the cook began to cry. "If you please, sir, I did make it; but Caporushes stirred it."
"And who is Caporushes?" asked the young man.
"If you please, sir, Caporushes is the scullion," whimpered the cook.
Then the young man sighed and fell back on his pillow. "Send Caporushes here," he said in a faint voice; for he really was very near dying.