You're a blacksmith's son.
Your father is an honest man.
Your sister's name is Ellie.
She's a laundress.
She washes the rich people's clothes.
Perhaps she was shot by the Guards yesterday.
And you ... you're a traitor!"
The strong man backed away in amazement.
The Negro was really telling the truth.
Lapitup couldn't understand how he had found all this out.
"Get out of here!" the Negro shouted.
The strong man came to his senses.
His face turned purple with anger.
He clenched his fists.
"You've no right to order me about!" he hissed. "I don't know you.
You're the Devil!"
"Get going!
I'll count to three.
One!"
The crowd stood still.
The Negro was a head shorter than Lapitup and one-third his weight.
But everyone was sure that if there was going to be a fight, the Negro would win, for he looked so fierce and confident.
"Two!"
The strong man pulled his head into his shoulders.
"The Devil!" he hissed.
"Three!"
The strong man disappeared.
Many people had shut their eyes and waited for him to deal the Negro a terrible blow. When they opened them, the strong man was nowhere to be seen.
He had disappeared behind the curtain.
"That's how the people will chase the Three Fat Men away!" the Negro said with a big smile.
The crowd roared.
People clapped their hands and threw their caps into the air.
"Long live the people!"
"Hooray!
Hooray!"
Doctor Caspar was the only one who was shaking his head.
No one could tell why he was so displeased.
"Who is he?
Who is he?
Who's the Negro?" people kept asking each other.
"Is he an actor, too?"
"We never saw him before!"
"Who are you?"
"Why did you defend the people?"
"Wait!
Wait a minute!" cried a man in tattered clothes who was making his way through the crowd.
It was the very same beggar who had stopped to speak to the flower girls and coachmen the night before.
Doctor Caspar recognised him.
"Wait a minute!" the beggar shouted excitedly. "Can't you see we've been fooled?
This Negro's just another actor, like Lapitup the Strong Man.