Master Raymond Visits Lady Mary.
When Master Raymond returned to Boston, he found that an important event
had taken place in his absence. Captain Alden and Master Philip English
and 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 was
not able to ascertain--probably however, by a liberal use of money. As
for Master English and his wife, they were, as I have already said, at
liberty in the day time, under heavy bonds; and had nothing to do but
walk off sometime between sunrise and sundown. As Master English's ship,
"The Porcupine," had been lying for a week or two in Boston harbor, and
left with a brisk northwest wind early in the morning of the day when
they were reported missing, it was not difficult for anyone to surmise
as to their mode of escape. As to Captain Alden, he might or might not
have gone with them.
As was natural, there was a good deal of righteous indignation expressed
by all in authority. The jailer was reprimanded for his carelessness in
the case of Captain Alden, and warned that if another prisoner escaped,
he would forfeit his, of late, very profitable position. And the large
properties of both gentlemen were attached and held as being subject to
confiscation.
But while the magistrates and officials usually were in earnest in these
proceedings, it was generally believed that the Governor, influenced by
Lady Mary, had secretly favored the escaping parties. The two ministers
of South Church--Masters Willard and Moody--were also known to have
frequently visited the Captain and Master English in their confinement,
and to have expressed themselves very freely in public, relative to the
absurdity of the charges which had been made against them. Master Moody
had even gone so far as to preach a sermon on the text, 'When they
persecute you in this city, flee ye into another,' which was supposed by
many to have a direct bearing on the case of the accused. And it is
certain that soon afterwards, the Reverend Master Moody found it
expedient to resign his position in South Church and go back to his old
home in Portsmouth.
Anxious to learn the true inwardness of all this matter, Master Raymond
called a few days after his return to see Lady Mary. Upon sending in
his name, a maid immediately appeared, and he was taken as before to the
boudoir 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 friend
of mine in Salem."
"Tell me all about it," said the lady. "I have had the magisterial
account already, and now wish to have yours."
"Will your ladyship pardon me if I ask a question first? I am so anxious
to hear about Mistress Dulcibel. Have you seen her lately--and is she
well?"
"As well and as blooming as ever. The keeper and his wife treat her very
kindly--and I think would continue to do so--even if the supply of
British gold pieces were to fail. By the way, she might be on the high
seas 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 leave
you 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 to
say so," responded the lady, a little offended at what seemed a want of
appreciation 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 her
that I was in no serious danger--for, even if imprisoned, I do not think
there is a jail in the Province that could hold me."
"Well, there was a difficulty with the Keeper also--for she had given
her 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 tempt
him."
"The difficulty in her case then remains the same as ever," said the
young man thoughtfully, and a little gloomily. "She might go into the
prison. But that would be to give warning that she had planned to
escape. Besides, it is such a vile place, that I hate the idea of her
passing 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--he
looked as if he would throw himself at her feet.
"I should be too glad to do it. But Sir William just now is more rigid
than ever. He had a call yesterday from his pastor, Master Cotton
Mather, and a long talk from him about the witches. Master Mather, it
seems, has had further evidence and of the most convincing character, of
the reality of these spectral appearances."
"Indeed!" said Master Raymond showing great interest for he had an idea
of what was coming.
"Yes, in a recent examination at Salem before Squire Hathorne, a young
man struck with his sword at a spectral yellow bird which was tormenting
an afflicted person; and several small yellow feathers were cut off by
the thrust, and floated down to the floor. Squire Hathorne writes to
Master 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 in
Christendom, 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 Lady
Mary. "But it had a great effect upon Sir William, coming from a man of
such wonderful learning and wisdom as Master Cotton Mather. Especially
as he said that he had seen the yellow feathers himself; which had since
been sent to him by Squire Hathorne, and which had a singular smell of
sulphur about them."
The young man broke into a heartier laugh than before. Then he said
scornfully, "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 were
in Salem?"
"I know everything about it," said Master Raymond, "I am the very man
that worked the miracle." And he proceeded to give Lady Mary a detailed
account of the whole affair, substantially as it is known to the reader.
"By the way, as to the feathers smelling of sulphur," concluded the
young man, "I think that it is very probable, inasmuch as I observed the
jailer's wife that very morning giving the younger chickens powdered
brimstone to cure them of the pip."
"I think you are a marvelously clever young man," was the lady's first
remark as he concluded his account.
"Thank your ladyship!" replied Master Raymond smiling. "I hope I shall
always act so as to deserve such a good opinion."
"I would have given my gold cup--which the Duke of Albemarle gave me--to
have been there; especially when the yellow bird's feathers came
floating down to Squire Hathorne's reverential amazement," said Lady
Mary, laughing heartily. "You must come up here tomorrow morning at
noon. Master Mather is to bring his feathers to show the Governor, and
to 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 that
I shall not suffer for my disclosures. I am free now, and I do not wish
to be arrested again."
"Oh, I will see to that. The Governor will be so curious to hear your
story, 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; these
Puritan ministers presume on their vocation too much. They all think
they are perfectly capable of governing not only Provinces, but
Kingdoms; while the whole history of the world proves their utter
incapacity to govern even a village wisely."
"That is true as the gospel, Lady Mary. But one thing I have always
noticed. That while every minister thinks this, he would himself far
rather be governed even by one of the world's people, than by a minister
of any other belief than his own. So you see they really do think the
same as we do about it; only they do not always know it."
"You are a bright young man," Lady Mary replied pleasantly, "and I think
almost good enough to wear such a sweet rose next your heart as Mistress
Dulcibel."