Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XLVII.

  Master Raymond Visits Lady Mary.

  When Master Raymond returned to Boston, he found that an important eventhad taken place in his absence. Captain Alden and Master Philip Englishand his wife, had all escaped from prison, and were nowhere to be found.How Captain Alden had managed things with the jailer the young man wasnot able to ascertain--probably however, by a liberal use of money. Asfor Master English and his wife, they were, as I have already said, atliberty in the day time, under heavy bonds; and had nothing to do butwalk off sometime between sunrise and sundown. As Master English's ship,"The Porcupine," had been lying for a week or two in Boston harbor, andleft with a brisk northwest wind early in the morning of the day whenthey were reported missing, it was not difficult for anyone to surmiseas to their mode of escape. As to Captain Alden, he might or might nothave gone with them.

  As was natural, there was a good deal of righteous indignation expressedby all in authority. The jailer was reprimanded for his carelessness inthe case of Captain Alden, and warned that if another prisoner escaped,he would forfeit his, of late, very profitable position. And the largeproperties of both gentlemen were attached and held as being subject toconfiscation.

  But while the magistrates and officials usually were in earnest in theseproceedings, it was generally believed that the Governor, influenced byLady Mary, had secretly favored the escaping parties. The two ministersof South Church--Masters Willard and Moody--were also known to havefrequently visited the Captain and Master English in their confinement,and to have expressed themselves very freely in public, relative to theabsurdity of the charges which had been made against them. Master Moodyhad even gone so far as to preach a sermon on the text, 'When theypersecute you in this city, flee ye into another,' which was supposed bymany to have a direct bearing on the case of the accused. And it iscertain that soon afterwards, the Reverend Master Moody found itexpedient to resign his position in South Church and go back to his oldhome in Portsmouth.

  Anxious to learn the true inwardness of all this matter, Master Raymondcalled a few days after his return to see Lady Mary. Upon sending inhis name, a maid immediately appeared, and he was taken as before to theboudoir where he found her ladyship eagerly awaiting him.

  "And so you are safely out of the lion's den, Master Raymond," said she,laughing. "I heard you had passed through securely."

  The young man smiled. "Yes, thanks to Providence, and to a good friendof mine in Salem."

  "Tell me all about it," said the lady. "I have had the magisterialaccount already, and now wish to have yours."

  "Will your ladyship pardon me if I ask a question first? I am so anxiousto hear about Mistress Dulcibel. Have you seen her lately--and is shewell?"

  "As well and as blooming as ever. The keeper and his wife treat her verykindly--and I think would continue to do so--even if the supply ofBritish gold pieces were to fail. By the way, she might be on the highseas now--or rather in New York--if she had so chosen."

  "I wish she had. Why did she not go with them?"

  "Because your arrest complicated things so. She would not go and leaveyou in the hands of the Philistines."

  "Oh, that was foolish."

  "I think so, too; but I do not think that you are exactly the person tosay so," responded the lady, a little offended at what seemed a want ofappreciation of the sacrifice that Dulcibel had made on his account.

  But Master Raymond appeared not to notice the rebuke. He simply added:"If I could have been there to counsel her, I would have convinced herthat I was in no serious danger--for, even if imprisoned, I do not thinkthere is a jail in the Province that could hold me."

  "Well, there was a difficulty with the Keeper also--for she had givenher word, you know, not to escape, when she was taken into his house."

  "But Captain Alden had also given his word. How did he manage it?"

  "I do not know," replied the lady. "But, to a hint dropped by Dulcibel,the jailer shook his head resolutely, and said that no money would tempthim."

  "The difficulty in her case then remains the same as ever," said theyoung man thoughtfully, and a little gloomily. "She might go into theprison. But that would be to give warning that she had planned toescape. Besides, it is such a vile place, that I hate the idea of herpassing a single night in one of its sickening cells."

  "Perhaps I can wring a pardon out of Sir William," said the lady musing.

  "Oh, Lady Mary, if you only could, we should both forever worship you!"

  The lady smiled at the young man's impassioned language and manner--helooked as if he would throw himself at her feet.

  "I should be too glad to do it. But Sir William just now is more rigidthan ever. He had a call yesterday from his pastor, Master CottonMather, and a long talk from him about the witches. Master Mather, itseems, has had further evidence and of the most convincing character, ofthe reality of these spectral appearances."

  "Indeed!" said Master Raymond showing great interest for he had an ideaof what was coming.

  "Yes, in a recent examination at Salem before Squire Hathorne, a youngman struck with his sword at a spectral yellow bird which was tormentingan afflicted person; and several small yellow feathers were cut off bythe thrust, and floated down to the floor. Squire Hathorne writes toMaster Mather that he would not have believed it, if he had not seen it;but, as it was, he would be willing to take his oath before any Court inChristendom, that this wonderful thing really occurred."

  Master Raymond could not help laughing.

  "I see you have no more faith in the story than I have," continued LadyMary. "But it had a great effect upon Sir William, coming from a man ofsuch wonderful learning and wisdom as Master Cotton Mather. Especiallyas he said that he had seen the yellow feathers himself; which had sincebeen sent to him by Squire Hathorne, and which had a singular smell ofsulphur about them."

  The young man broke into a heartier laugh than before. Then he saidscornfully, "It seems to me that no amount of learning, however great,can make a sensible man out of a fool."

  "Why, you know something about this then? Did it happen while you werein Salem?"

  "I know everything about it," said Master Raymond, "I am the very manthat worked the miracle." And he proceeded to give Lady Mary a detailedaccount of the whole affair, substantially as it is known to the reader.

  "By the way, as to the feathers smelling of sulphur," concluded theyoung man, "I think that it is very probable, inasmuch as I observed thejailer's wife that very morning giving the younger chickens powderedbrimstone to cure them of the pip."

  "I think you are a marvelously clever young man," was the lady's firstremark as he concluded his account.

  "Thank your ladyship!" replied Master Raymond smiling. "I hope I shallalways act so as to deserve such a good opinion."

  "I would have given my gold cup--which the Duke of Albemarle gave me--tohave been there; especially when the yellow bird's feathers camefloating down to Squire Hathorne's reverential amazement," said LadyMary, laughing heartily. "You must come up here tomorrow morning atnoon. Master Mather is to bring his feathers to show the Governor, andto astound the Governor's skeptical wife. You are not afraid to come,are you?"

  "I shall enjoy it very much--that is, if the Governor will promise thatI shall not suffer for my disclosures. I am free now, and I do not wishto be arrested again."

  "Oh, I will see to that. The Governor will be so curious to hear yourstory, that he will promise all that you desire as to your safety.Besides, he will not be sorry to take down Master Mather a little; thesePuritan ministers presume on their vocation too much. They all thinkthey are perfectly capable of governing not only Provinces, butKingdoms; while the whole history of the world proves their utterincapacity to govern even a village wisely."

  "That is true as the gospel, Lady Mary. But one thing I have alwaysnoticed. That while every minister thinks this, he would himself farrather be governed even by one of the world's people, than by a ministerof any other belief than his own. So you se
e they really do think thesame as we do about it; only they do not always know it."

  "You are a bright young man," Lady Mary replied pleasantly, "and I thinkalmost good enough to wear such a sweet rose next your heart as MistressDulcibel."