elf,
began whipping the milk, saying:

"I do this in the name of the Lord," which he repeated with every
stroke.

[Illustration: At every stroke he repeated, "I do this in the name of
the Lord."]

Goody Nurse, who was on the best of terms with Goody Vance, had
unfortunately broken the spindle of her wheel and, knowing that her
neighbor had an extra one, came to borrow it. She was astonished to see
their pastor seated before a skillet of milk whipping it with switches.
No sooner was her errand made known, than Parris, leaping to his feet,
cried:

"No! no! lend her nothing, or you will break the spell! Avaunt, vile
witch, or I will scourge you until your shoulders are bare and
bleeding."

Goody Nurse, astonished and terrified, retired, and next Lord's day the
incident formed a theme for Mr. Parris' sermon. This was the first
sermon Charles had heard since his return.

"Mother, I will go no more to hear Mr. Parris," Charles declared, on
reaching home.

"You must, my son. The laws of the colony compel the attendance on
divine worship."

"Such laws should be repealed as foolish. Compel one to go to church, to
listen to such nonsense!" and Charles hurried away in disgust.

Cora had been watching him during his conversation with his mother. He
had scarcely been able to speak with her at all since his return.
Charles turned toward her as he ceased speaking, and Cora, seeming to
dread meeting his eyes, was about to disappear into her room, when he
called her:

"Cora, don't go away. I must talk with you."

"What would you say?" she asked, her heart fluttering in her bosom like
a captive bird.

"There is much. Let us go down to the brook and sit on the green banks
as we used to do."

She trembled, hesitated a moment and acquiesced. They went slowly down
the path, neither saying a word until the brook was reached. When they
were seated on the bank, Charles asked:

"Cora, are you still persecuted by Mr. Parris? Does he continue to
denounce you?"

"He does."

"That is an evidence that he is a man of low qualities. And he still
assails Goody Nurse?"

"Yes, sir. Goody Nurse, Goody Corey, Bishop and Casty have all been
cried out upon, and it is not known when they will stop."

"This craze has assumed dangerous proportions, Cora."

"It has. They are going to law," she answered. "Some are already in
jail."

"I have heard of it, and, with prejudiced judges and juries and false
witnesses, life will be in great