Master Raymond.

"Of course it will; the prediction will fulfill itself. Thomas is
superstitious beyond all reasonableness; and good Mistress Ann, my
pious sister-in-law, is almost as bad as he is, notwithstanding her
lies and trickery. Do you know what I saw that Leah Herrick doing?"

"What was it?"

"In her pretended spasms, when bending nearly double, she was taking a
lot of pins out of the upper edge of her stomacher with her mouth,
preparatory of course, to making the accusation that it was Dulcibel's
doings."

"But she did not?"

"No, it was just before the time that Dulcibel scared them so with the
predictions; and Leah was so frightened, lest she also should be
predicted against, that she quietly spit all the pins into her hand
again."

"Ah, that was the game played by a girl about ten years ago at
Taunton-Dean, in England. Judge North told my father about it. One of
the magistrates saw her do it."

"Well, now, what shall we do? They will convict her just as surely as
they try her."

"Undoubtedly!"

"Shall we attack and break open the jail some dark night, sword in hand?
I can raise a party of young men, friends of the imprisoned, to do it;
they only want a leader."

"And all of you go off into perpetual banishment and have all your
property confiscated?"

"I do not care. I am ready to do it."

"If you choose to encounter such a risk for others, I have no objection.
I believe myself that if the friends and relatives of the accused
persons would take up arms in defense of them, and demand their release,
it would be the very manliest and most sensible thing they could do. But
the consciences of the people here make cowards of them. They are all in
bondage to a blind and conceited set of ministers, and to a narrow and
bigoted creed."

"Then what do you plan?"

"Dulcibel's escape. You know that I managed to see her for a few minutes
early this morning. She has a friend within the prison. Wait till we get
on our horses, and I will explain it all to you."

CHAPTER XIX.

Antipas Works a Miracle.

The next morning Antipas Newton was brought before the Magistrates for
examination. Antipas seemed so quiet and peaceful in his demeanor, that
Squire Hathorne could hardly credit the story told by the constables of
his violent behavior on the night of the arrest.

"I thought you were a Quaker," said he to the prisoner.

"No, only half Quaker; the other half gospeller," replied the old man
m