Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  The First Rattle of the Rattlesnake.

  One day about this time Master Raymond was sitting in the porch of theRed Lion, thinking over a sight he had just seen;--a man had passed bywearing on the back of his drab coat a capital I two inches long, cutout of black cloth, and sewed upon it. On inquiry he found the man hadmarried his deceased wife's sister; and both he and the woman had beenfirst whipped, and then condemned to wear this letter for the rest oftheir lives, according to the law of the colony.[3]

  [Footnote 3: See Drake's History of Boston]

  Master Raymond was puzzling over the matter not being able to make outthat any real offence had been committed, when who should walk up to theporch but Master Joseph Putnam. After a hearty hand-shaking between thetwo, they retired to Master Raymond's apartments.

  "Well, how are things getting along at Salem?"

  "Oh, about as usual!"

  "Any more accusations?"

  "Plenty of them, people are beginning to find out that the best way toprotect themselves is to sham being 'afflicted,' and accuse somebodyelse."

  "I saw that a good while ago."

  "And when a girl or a woman is accused, her relatives and her friendsgather around her, and implore her to confess, to save her life. Forthey have found that not one person who has been accused of being awitch, and has admitted the fact, has been convicted.

  "And yet it would seem that a confession of witchcraft ought to be abetter proof of it, than the mere assertion of possible enemies,"responded Master Raymond.

  "Of course--if there was any show of reason or fairness in theprosecutions, from first to last; but as it is all sheer malice andwickedness, on the part of the accusers, from the beginning to the end,it would be vain to expect any reasonableness or fairness from them."

  "We must admit, however, that there is some delusion in it. It would betoo uncharitable to believe otherwise," said Master Raymondthoughtfully.

  "There may have been at the very first--on the part of the children,"replied Master Putnam. "They might have supposed that Tituba andfriendless Sarah Good tormented them--but since then, there has notbeen more than one part of delusion to twenty parts of wickedness. Why,can any sane man suppose that she-wolf sister-in-law of mine does notknow she is lying, when she brings such horrible charges against thebest men and women in Salem?"

  "No, I give up Mistress Ann, she is possessed by a lying devil,"admitted Master Raymond.

  "It is well she does not hear that speech," said Joseph Putnam.

  "Why?"

  "Because, up to this time, you seem to have managed to soften her hearta little."

  "I have tried to. I have thought myself justified in playing a part--asKing David once did you know."

  "It is that which brings me here. I met her at the house of a friendwhom I called to see on some business a day or two ago."

  "Ah!"

  "She said to me, in that soft purring voice of hers, 'Brother Joseph, Ihear that your good friend Master Raymond is still in Boston.' Ianswered that I believed he was. 'When he took leave of me,' shecontinued, 'I advised him not to stay long in that town--as it wasoften a bad climate for strangers. I am sorry he does not take wisecounsel.' Then she passed on, and out of the house. Have you any ideawhat she meant?"

  Master Raymond studied a moment over it in silence. Then he said:--"Itis the first warning of the rattlesnake, I suppose. How many do theyusually give before they spring?"

  "Three, the saying goes. But I guess this rattlesnake cannot be trustedto give more than one."

  "I was convinced I saw your brother Thomas as I came ashore from theStorm King the other day."

  "Ah, that explains it then. She understands it all then. She understandsit all now just as well as if you had told her."

  "But why should she pursue so fiendishly an innocent girl like Dulcibel,who is not conscious of ever having offended her?"

  "Why do tigers slay, and scorpions sting? Because it is their nature, Isuppose," replied Master Putnam philosophically. "Because, MistressDulcibel openly ridiculed and denounced her and the whole witchcraftbusiness. And you will note that there has not been a single instanceof this being done, that the circle of accusers have not seemedmaddened to frenzy."

  "Yes,--there has been one case--your own."

  "That is true--because I am Thomas Putnam's brother. And, dupe and toolas he is of that she-wolf, and though there is no great amount of lovelost between us--still I am his brother! And that protects me. Besidesthey know that it is as much any two men's lives are worth to attempt toarrest me."

  "And then you think there is no special enmity against Dulcibel?"

  "I have not said so. Jethro Sands hates her because she refused him;Leah Herrick wants her driven away, because she herself wants to marryJethro, and fears Jethro might after all, succeed in getting Dulcibel;and Sister Ann hates her, because--"

  "Well, because what?"

  "Oh, it seems too egotistical to say it--because she knows she is one ofmy dear friends."

  "She must dislike you very much then?"

  "She does."

  "Why?"

  "Oh, there is no good reason. At the first, she was inclined to likeme--but I always knew she was a cold-blooded snake and she-wolf, and Iwould have nothing to do with her. Then when brother Thomas began tosink his manhood and become the mere dupe and tool of a scheming woman,I remonstrated with him. I think, friend Raymond, that I am aschivalrous as any man ought to be. I admire a woman in her true place asmuch as any man--and would fight and die for her. But for these men thatforget their manhood, these Marc Antonies who yield up their soundreason and their manly strength to the wiles and tears and charms ofselfish and ambitious Cleopatras, I have nothing but contempt. There areplenty of them around in all ages of the world, and they generally gloryin their shame. Of course brother Thomas did not enjoy very much my meanopinion of his conduct--and as for sister Ann, she has never forgivenme, and never will."

  "And so you think she hates Dulcibel, mainly because you love her?"

  "That is about the shape of it," said Master Putnam drily. "ThatDulcibel feels for me the affection of a sister, only intensifies mysister-in-law's aversion to her. But then, you see, that merely on thegeneral principle of denouncing all who set themselves in opposition tothe so-called afflicted circle, Dulcibel would be accused ofwitchcraft."

  "Well, for my part, I think the whole affair can only be accounted foras being a piece of what we men of the world, who do not belong to anychurch, call devilishness," said Master Raymond hotly.

  "You see," responded Master Putnam, "that you men of the world have tocome to the same conclusion that we church members do. You impute it to'devilishness' and we to being 'possessed by the devil.' It is about thesame thing. And now give me an idea of your latest plans. Perhaps I canforward them in some way, either here or at Salem."