in his sudden
perturbation; and how all these forerunners of his children's strange
illness might now be interpreted and understood--this had formed the
staple of the conversation between Grace Hickson and her friends. There
had arisen a dispute among them at last, as to how far these
subjections to the power of the Evil One were to be considered as a
judgment upon Pastor Tappau for some sin on his part; and if so, what?
It was not an unpleasant discussion, although there was considerable
difference of opinion; for as none of the speakers had had their
families so troubled, it was rather a proof that they had none of them
committed any sin. In the midst of this talk, one, entering in from the
street, brought the news that Hota had confessed all--had owned to
signing a certain little red book which Satan had presented to her--had
been present at impious sacraments--had ridden through the air to
Newbury Falls--and, in fact, had assented to all the questions which
the elders and magistrates, carefully reading over the confessions of
the witches who had formerly been tried in England, in order that they
might not omit a single inquiry, had asked of her. More she had owned
to, but things of inferior importance, and partaking more of the nature
of earthly tricks than of spiritual power. She had spoken of carefully
adjusted strings, by which all the crockery in Pastor Tappau's house
could be pulled down or disturbed; but of such intelligible
malpractices the gossips of Salem took little heed. One of them said
that such an action showed Satan's prompting, but they all preferred to
listen to the grander guilt of the blasphemous sacraments and
supernatural rides. The narrator ended with saying that Hota was to be
hung the next morning, in spite of her confession, even although her
life had been promised to her if she acknowledged her sin; for it was
well to make an example of the first-discovered witch, and it was also
well that she was an Indian, a heathen, whose life would be no great
loss to the community. Grace Hickson on this spoke out. It was well
that witches should perish off the face of the earth, Indian or
English, heathen or, worse, a baptized Christian who had betrayed the
Lord, even as Judas did, and had gone over to Satan. For her part, she
wished that the first-discovered witch had been a member of a godly
English household, that it might be seen of all men that religious folk
were willing to cut off the right hand