Part 8 (1/2)

”You think that Mistress Dulcibel is an angel, do you not?” said one of the female servants to him about this time, a little scornfully.

”No, I know what she is,” he replied. ”Shall I tell you--but if I do, you will not believe”--and he looked at the girl a little doubtfully.

”Oh, yes, I will,” said the girl.

”Come here then and I will whisper it to you. I heard the minister read about her once, she is the woman that is 'clothed with the sun and has the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.'”

”That is wicked, Antipas. If Master Parris heard that you said things like that, he would have you whipped and put in the stocks.”

”Master Parris? you mean Beelzebub! I know Beelzebub when I see him.”

And Antipas gave one of his unnatural, insane laughs, which were getting very frequent of late.

For the general excitement was proving too much for Antipas. Fie stopped frequently in his work, and muttered to himself; and then laughed wildly, or shed tears. He talked about the witches and the Devil and evil spirits, and the strange things that he saw at night, in the insane fas.h.i.+on that characterized the ”afflicted children.”

As for Dulcibel in these times, she kept pretty much to herself, going out very little. As she could not sympathize with the general gossip of the neighborhood, she remained at home, and consequently had very few visitors. Joseph Putnam called whenever he came to the village, which, as I have stated, was but seldom; and Ellis Raymond came every few days.

Yes, it was a courts.h.i.+p, I suppose; but one of a very grave and serious character. The conversation generally turned upon the exciting events continually occurring, some new arrest, some new confession, some new and outrageously absurd charges.

Master Raymond's hand, if anyone accosted him suddenly, instinctively sought the hilt of his rapier. He was better skilled in the use of that weapon than was usual, and had no fear that he should be unable to escape from the constables, if not taken at a disadvantage. Still, as that would compel him to fly into the woods, and as it would separate him from Dulcibel, he had been very careful not to express in public his abhorrence of all the recent proceedings. I am afraid that he was guilty of considerable dissimulation, even paying his court to some of the ”afflicted” maidens when he had the opportunity, with soft words and handsome presents; and trying in this way to enlist a party in his behalf, in case he or any of his friends should need supporters.

Joseph Putnam censured him one day for his double dealing, which was a thing not only out of Master Joseph's line, but one which his frank and outspoken nature rendered it very difficult for him to practise. But Raymond with his references to King David's behavior towards Achish, King of Gath, and to certain other scripture, especially Paul's being ”all things to all men that he might save all,” was rather too weighty for Joseph, whose forte was sensible a.s.sertion rather than ingenious argument. And so Master Raymond persevered in his course, feeling no more compunction in deceiving the Salemites, as he said to himself, than he would in deceiving and cheating a pack of savage wolves, who were themselves arrayed in sheep's clothing.

Jethro Sands had of late shown a disposition to renew his attentions to Dulcibel; but, after two or three visits, in the last of which he had given the maiden the desired opportunity, she had plainly intimated to him that the old state of affairs between them could never be restored.

”I know the reason too,” said Jethro, angrily ”it is all owing to that English popinjay, who rides about as if we colonists were not fit to dust his pretty coat for him.”

”He is a gentleman, and a friend of mine,” replied Dulcibel warmly.

”Why do you not say a lover of yours, at once?”

”You have no right to talk to me in that manner. I will not endure it.”

”You will not--how will you help it?” He was now thoroughly angry, and all his native coa.r.s.eness came to the surface.

”I will show you,” said Dulcibel, the Norse blood of her father glowing in her face. ”Good evening, Sir!” and she left the room.

Jethro had not expected such a quiet, but effective answer. He sat twirling his thumbs, for awhile, hoping that she would return. But realizing at last that she would not, he took his departure in a towering anger. Of course this was the last of his visits. But Dulcibel had made a deadly enemy.

It was unfortunate, for the maiden already had many who disliked her among the young people of the village. She was a superior person for one thing, and ”gave herself airs,” as some said. To be superior, without having wealth or an acknowledged high social position, is always to be envied, and often to be hated. Then again, Dulcibel dressed with more richness and variety of costume than was usual in the Puritan villages.

This set many of the women, both young and old, against her. Her scarlet bodice, especially, was a favorite theme for animadversion; some even going so far as to call her ironically ”the scarlet woman.” It is curious how unpopular a perfectly amiable, sweet-tempered and sweet-tongued maiden may often become, especially with her own s.e.x, because of their innate feeling that she is not, in spite of all her courteous endeavors, really one of them. It is an evil day for the swan when she finds herself the only swan among a large flock of geese.

Dulcibel's antecedents also were not as orthodox as they might be. Her mother, it was granted, was ”pious,” and of a ”G.o.dly” connection; but her father, as he had himself once said, ”had no religion to speak of.”

He had further replied to the question, asked him when he first came to Salem, as to whether he was ”a professor of religion,” that he was ”only a sea captain, and had no other profession.” And a certain freedom of thought characterized Dulcibel, that she could scarcely have derived from her pious mother. In fact, it was something like the freedom of the winds and of the clouds, blowing where they liked; and had been probably caught up by her father in his many voyages over the untrammeled seas.

At first Dulcibel had been rather impressed by the sermons of Master Parris and Master Noyes and the other ministers, to the effect that Satan was making a deadly a.s.sault upon the ”saints,” in revenge for their interference with his. .h.i.therto undisputed domination of the new world. But the longer she thought about it, the more she was inclined to adopt Joseph Putnam's theory, that his sister-in-law and niece and the other ”afflicted” persons were possessed by devils.