Mrs. Stevens and Cora both screamed, and were about to fly, when Charles emerged from his place of concealment, saying:
"Charles! Charles! what were they doing?" Mrs. Stevens asked.
"It was some of their wild incantations," he answered. "The knaves deserve to have a good whip laid about their bare backs."
"Truly, they do. Why did they fly at our approach?" asked Mrs. Stevens.
"Perhaps the foolish creatures thought their spell was broken," Charles answered.
"I am so affrighted," said Cora, shuddering. She was growing dizzy, and Mrs. Stevens said:
He bore her to the spring and, kneeling by the brook, bathed the fair white brow, until she opened her eyes and murmured:
Many times afterward, both mother and son, recalling the incident, wondered why she, for the first time, had called for her mother. At all other times and on all other occasions, the maid persistently denied that she knew aught of her mother.
A few days later, her father, who had mysteriously and unceremoniously disappeared, returned. No one asked any questions as to where he had been, or what business had engaged his attention. He gave the widow some golden guineas for her care of his child. That night Charles came accidentally upon the father and daughter in the garden. They were sitting in a green bower, partially screened from view, so he approached to within a few paces without being seen.
"Father, have you heard anything more?" she asked.
"Danger never will be over, until there has been a revolution in the government."
Long did Charles ponder over those mysterious words, and ask himself what they meant. He again conferred with his mother, and when she had heard all he had to tell, she was constrained to ask:
Mrs. Stevens, like her son, was too well bred to pry into the secrets of her guests. A few days later Mr. Waters again disappeared and was not seen for two months.
It was at the close of a sultry day in July that Mr. John Louder and his neighbor Bly were returning from Boston in a cart. As usual, their conversation was of the solemn kind, characteristic of the Puritan. The many mysteries in nature and out of nature formed their principal topic. Each had had his long, ardent conflict with sin and Satan.
Each was a firm believer in personal devils and legions of devils. The spirits of the air were thought to be all about them, even at that very moment.