Part 66 (2/2)
Half an hour elapsed, and nothing occurred. During this interval it had become dark. A curtain of clouds was drawn over the moon and stars.
Suddenly, a hurtling noise was heard in the air, and it seemed to the watcher as if a troop of witches were alighting at a distance from him.
A loud hubbub of voices ensued-then there was a trampling of feet, accompanied by discordant strains of music-after which a momentary silence ensued, and a harsh voice asked-
”Why are we brought hither?”
”It is not for a sabbath,” shouted another voice, ”for there is neither fire nor caldron.”
”Mother Demdike would not summon us without good reason,” cried a third. ”We shall learn presently what we have to do.”
”The more mischief the better,” rejoined another voice.
”Ay, mischief! mischief! mischief!” echoed the rest of the crew.
”You shall have enough of it to content you,” rejoined Mother Demdike. ”I have called you hither to be present at a sacrifice.”
Hideous screams of laughter followed this announcement, and the voice that had spoken first asked-
”A sacrifice of whom?”
”An unbaptised babe, stolen from its sleeping mother's breast,” rejoined another. ”Mother Demdike has often played that trick before-ho! ho!”
”Peace!” thundered the hag-”It is no babe I am about to kill, but a full-grown maid-ay, and one of rarest beauty, too. What think ye of Alizon Device?”
”Thy grand-daughter!” cried several voices, in surprise.
”Alice Nutter's daughter-for such she is,” rejoined the hag. ”I have held her captive in Malkin Tower, and have subjected her to every trial and temptation I could devise, but I have failed in shaking her courage, or in winning her over to our master. All the horrors of the vault have been tried upon her in vain. Even the last terrible ordeal, which no one has. .h.i.therto sustained, proved ineffectual. She went through it unmoved.”
”Heaven be praised!” murmured Richard.
”It seems I have no power over her soul” pursued the hag; ”but I have over her body, and she shall die here, and by my hand. But mind me, not a drop of blood must fall to the ground.”
”Have no fear,” cried several voices, ”we will catch it in our palms and quaff it.”
”Hast thou thy knife, Mould-heels?” asked Mother Demdike.
”Ay,” replied the other, ”it is long and sharp, and will do thy business well. Thy grandson, Jem Device, notched it by killing swine, and my goodman ground it only yesterday. Take it.”
”I will plunge it to her heart!” cried Mother Demdike, with an infernal laugh. ”And now I will tell you why we have neither fire nor caldron. On questioning the ebon image in the vault as to the place where the sacrifice should be made, I received for answer that it must be here, and in darkness. No human eye but our own must behold it. We are safe on this score, for no one is likely to come hither at this hour. No fire must be kindled, or the sacrifice will result in destruction to us all. Ye have heard, and understand?”
”We do,” replied several husky voices.
”And so do I,” said Richard, taking hold of the dark lantern.
”And now for the girl,” cried Mother Demdike.
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