Part 26 (2/2)

”All right! All right!” said Peg, giving it up. ”But if you come back in disgrace one more time...”

She didn't go into what she'd do if I came back in such disgrace again, but I was promised it would not be pretty. I yelped and went upstairs and got Amy and then I grabbed Betsey by the arm and the three of us were out the door.

I had wanted to have Betsey along 'cause I planned to visit with Ephraim again to bring him up to date with what was happening with the Preacher, and Amy 'cause I wanted to put her next to Ezra again, to see what happens.

We're goin' across the Common and I can see that Betsey's a little shy to be with Amy and so I stop them and join hands with both and say that when we're in the school we're girl, girl, and lady, but when we are out on the town we are all just members of the same Dread Sisterhood. Agreed? They agree, and we walk down the path as Sisters.

We go first to see Ephraim and his eyes light up upon seeing Betsey, and hers light up upon seeing him, and that gladdens my heart, and then we take him in tow and head down toward Ezra's office, and as we go, we fill him in on all that's been going on with the Preacher. His mouth is set into a firm line of satisfaction that something is being done, and he demands that he be allowed to do his part, and I say for him not to worry as his time will come.

”I've been haunting the Preacher, Ezra. It's as simple as that. He would not look upon Janey on that day. He will look upon her now,” I say with firmness. Ezra is at his desk and we are seated facing him. Introductions have been made.

Ezra looks upon me with wonder. ”And what good do you think this will do?”

I fluffs up and says, ”His guilt will overcome him and he will confess.”

”And then we will take him out and hang him, I suppose,” says Ezra.

”I had thought more in the way of the lunatic asylum. As long as the name of Janey Porter is cleared of shame.”

Ezra looks at me long and hard. Then he turns to Amy. ”You knew of this, Miss Trevelyne?”

”On the widow's walk we heard the Reverend admit his guilt,” says Amy, steadily. Good on you, Amy, I thinks. She gives him a short account of the Preacher's words and actions.

”Why didn't you report that to me? Perhaps we could have charged him with his crime?”

”On the word of Jacky Faber, convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct? Jacky Faber, what sings and dances in taverns, and what plunges into Boston Harbor at the slightest provocation?” snorts I. ”I am well aware of my reputation in this town.”

”Besides,” says Amy, ”what he said, though plain to us, was vague enough that any good attorney could successfully defend him. One such as yourself, Mr. Pickering.”

”That is very perceptive of you, Miss Trevelyne,” says Mr. Pickering, fairly beaming at her. ”And you are right. I have no doubt I could get him off.

”And you, Mr. Fyffe. You approved of this?” Ezra asks of Ephraim, who sits stolidly in his chair, his hands in fists which rest on his knees.

”I didn't know of it, but I approve. Jacky is a brave girl. Janey was a brave girl, too, what didn't deserve what happened to her,” says Ephraim. Betsey puts her hand gently on his shoulder.

”And you, Miss?” Ezra asks of Betsey.

”She was friend to me,” is all she will say, but it is enough.

There is a small silence and I throw a question into it. ”Who was the Preacher's grandfather?”

Ezra considers this for a while and then says, ”He is probably referring to Cotton Mather, a towering figure in the early colonies, both in religion and law.” Ezra pauses and looks at me and then goes on. ”Cotton Mather was instrumental in the Salem witch trials, wherein forty-nine people were executed for witchcraft-largely on the evidence of several hysterical girls.”

I s.h.i.+ver and resolve to be more careful.

Ezra goes on. ”He was directly involved in the trial of a young girl here in Boston in 1682. It concerned the death of her baby. She said she had rolled over the infant in her sleep, causing its death by accident. The Court, urged on by Cotton Mather, convicted her of murder. On the day of her execution, she had to sit there and listen to a two-hour sermon on the sins of youth, delivered by Reverend Mather, before she was taken up and dropped.” Ezra puts on a thoughtful att.i.tude. ”Poor thing. Had I been her, I would have offered to go first.”

I'm sittin' there tryin' to keep my gorge down when Ezra brings his eyes again to lock with mine. ”It is reported that Reverend Mather marched immediately around the corner to have his sermon printed up for distribution, even as the girl still hung on the gallows. So you see, Jacky, the Mathers are very serious people.”

I take his warnings even more to heart.

Ezra Pickering looks about at the a.s.sembled gang of conspirators and says, ”There have been some developments. Our Reverend Mather has redoubled his efforts at getting his pet.i.tion of guardians.h.i.+p granted. He has hired an attorney, a Mr. George Blish, a man I personally cannot abide but who is nonetheless extremely competent. Blish has entered into the Court record a deposition describing your recent physical fight with another girl at the school and your propensity for singing and dancing in public houses. Reverend Mather seems to have excellent sources of information, and you, of course, do everything possible to further their case.” Ezra looks at me sternly.

The vile Dobbs, I thinks, and prolly Wiggins, but what I sighs and says is, ”There'll be no more singing and dancing. I shall try to be good.”

”And I shall try to block this pet.i.tion at every turn, but it is getting increasingly difficult. And I shall continue looking into the matter of reclaiming your money, but somehow I do not think this case is entirely about the money.”

”It isn't, Mr. Pickering,” I says. ”I believe he has convinced himself that I am a witch. The same thing he convinced himself about Janey Porter, and we all know what happened there.”

Ezra is silent for a while on that, and then he says, looking steadily at me, ”We must all be very careful then, mustn't we?”

After we leave Ezra's office and return up the hill, I see a strange thing in a side yard of a stable. It seems to be a wooden figure of a man with a cone-shaped hat on his head sitting in a chair that's on a narrow platform, and right behind him is another wooden figure, a devil with pitchfork and horns and tail, painted red.

I say, ”What's that?” and Ephraim says that it's a Pope's Day wagon that will be paraded down the street on the night of November fifth, and the gangs from the North End will try to knock over and destroy the Popes of the South End gangs, and all will have torches and the fights will go long into the night.

”And there's supposed to be at least three British s.h.i.+ps in, which should add some spice to the mix,” he says. He gives his arm to Betsey and she takes it. They smile at each other and I think it's the first time each has really smiled in a while.

I'm thinking it's a lot like Guy Fawkes Day back in old London town when me and the gang would get wholeheartedly into some serious mischief. ”Sounds like fun,” I says, ever up for some excitement. ”Can we come, too?”

Chapter 31.

”Come on, Henry,” I'm sayin', dragging on his arm. ”You can be my gallant escort, come on!”

”But the horses-”

”Sven can watch the horses, can't he, Herr Hoffman?” Herr Hoffman has appeared as I am trying to haul his son out of the stable and into the riot of the night. Halloween's come and gone and now it's Pope's Day!

Herr Hoffman puts his hand on his son's head and ruffles his brown hair. ”Ach, ja, Heinrich, go with the young people. Have fun, boy. The responsibilities of age vill come soon enough.”

With that, Henry grabs my arm and we are off joyously into the night.

The others are right down the street. There's Sylvie and Abby and Rachel and her young man, Paul Barkley, whom she will marry in the spring, and they plan to go west to claim a homestead and farm. He brings along his brother, who is pleasant and soon accepted by all and who quickly falls into step with Abby, who don't seem to mind. Amy has climbed down the ladder route and is dressed in her common gear to fit right in with us milkmaids, and we're to pick up Annie and Betsey on our way down. We walk the road between the school and the church, and I look up and sure enough, there he is at his window. I'll leave you alone tonight, Preacher. May you not enjoy the rest.

”The others are waiting down the road, and Maudie has said we can go up on the roof of the Pig and watch the whole thing from there! Won't it be grand?” I crows.

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