Master Raymond Also Complains of an "Evil Hand."
Master Raymond had everything now prepared upon his part, and was
awaiting a message from Captain Alden, to the effect that he had made a
positive engagement with the Danish captain.
He had caught a serious cold on his return from Boston and, turning the
matter over in his mind--for it is a wise thing to try to get some good
result out of even apparently evil occurrences--he had called in the
village doctor.
But the good Doctor's medicine did not seem to work as it ought to--for
one reason, Master Raymond regularly emptied the doses out of the
window; thinking as he told Master Joseph, to put them where they would
do the most good. And when the Doctor came, and found that neither
purging nor vomiting had been produced, these with bleeding and sweating
being the great panaceas of that day--as perhaps of this--he was
naturally astonished. In a case where neither castor oil, senna and
manna, nor large doses of Glauber's salts would work, a medical man was
certainly justified in thinking that something must be wrong.
Master Raymond suggested whether "an evil hand" might not be upon him.
This was the common explanation at that time in Salem and its
neighborhood. The doctors and the druggists nowadays miss a great deal
in not having such an excuse made ready to their hands--it would account
alike for adulterated drugs and ill-judged remedies.
Master Raymond had the reputation of being rich, and the Doctor had been
mortified by the bad behavior of his medicines--for if a patient be not
cured, if he is at least vigorously handled, there seems to be something
that can with propriety be heavily charged for. But if a doctor does
nothing--neither cures, nor anything else--with what face can he bring
in a weighty bill?
And so good Doctor Griggs readily acquiesced in his patient's
supposition that "an evil hand," was at work, and even suggested that he
should bring Abigail Williams or some other "afflicted" girl with him
the next time he came, to see with her sharpened eyes who it was that
was bewitching him.
But Master Raymond declined the offer--at least for the present. If the
thing continued, and grew worse, he might be able himself to see who it
was. Why should he not be as able to do it as Abigail Williams, or any
other of the "afflicted" circle? Of course the doctor was not able to
answer why; there seemed to be no good reason why one set of "afflicted"
people should have a monopoly of the accusing business.
Of course this came very quickly from the Doctor to Mistress Ann
Putnam--for he was a regular attendant of that lady, whose nervous
system indeed was in a fearful state by this time. And she puzzled a
good deal over it. Did Master Raymond intend to accuse anyone? Who was
it? Or was it merely a hint thrown out, that it was a game that two
parties could play at?
But then she smiled--she had the two ministers, and through them all the
other ministers of the colony--the magistrates and judges--and the
advantages of the original position. Imitators always failed. Still she
rather liked the young man's craft and boldness--Joseph Putnam would
never have thought of such a thing. But still let him beware how he
attempted to thwart her plans. He would soon find that she was the
stronger.
Joseph Putnam then began to answer inquiries as to the health of his
guest,--that he was not much better, and thought somewhat of going up to
Boston for further medical advice--as the medicines given him so far did
not seem to work as well as they should do.
"Could he bear the ride?"
"Oh, very well indeed--his illness had not so far affected his strength
much."