d
at her much as an angry lion might gaze on the object of its hatred;
then he turned away on his heel with something about the children of
darkness profaning the house of the Lord.

Cora shuddered as long as he was in sight, and when he had disappeared,
she said:

"Surely, he is a bad man!"

They resumed their walk to the house. Though neither spoke, they went
slowly, each buried in thought. The gentle zephyrs, the frisking
squirrels, the nodding flowers, the singing birds, were all unheeded by
them. When the home was reached, he found his mother standing in the
door, her face almost deathly white.

Though she said nothing, he knew she was greatly disturbed. Her wheel
stood idle, the great heap of wool rolls lying unspun at the side of it.
She smiled faintly and, as Cora passed into the little room set apart
for her, turned her eyes anxiously to her son.

"Mother, has any one been here since we left?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Was it Mr. Parris?"

"It was."

"We saw him come out of the church as we passed."

"He was here but a moment since."

Then Charles felt that something had been said to his mother to occasion
alarm, and he asked her what it was.

"He advised me to warn you to flee from the wrath to come. He said you
would be involved in ruin ere you knew it, if you continued in your
present course."

"What did he mean?"

"He referred to her," and Mrs. Stevens significantly nodded toward the
apartment in which Cora was. Charles had expected this answer. He went
slowly to the door and looked down the road to see if the pastor was
still in sight; but he was not. Only the broad, well-beaten
thoroughfare, with the great, old trees standing on either side, and the
blue sea beyond the hill, with the village in the valley were visible.
The youth's heart was full of bitterness, and the manner in which his
mother's words were spoken was not calculated to allay the storm within
his breast. Though her words did not say so, her manner indicated that
she shared the opinions of Mr. Parris. Turning from the door, Charles
went toward her and said:

"Mother, whatever he said of her is false. I know he hates Cora, that he
would make her one of the emissaries of Satan; but his charges are
false. You know--you must know that she is a pure, good girl."

"I do know it," she answered, her face still anxious and pale. "The
accusation is false. I know it is false; yet he threatens."

"Whom does he threaten?"

"You."