ow showed by
what means Mr. Waters had made his escape. Charles hastened to inform
the nocturnal visitors, and a scene ensued that can be as well imagined
as described. Charles was upbraided for aiding a criminal to escape.
Mr. Joel Martin, the brother of the overseer shot in Virginia, was
enraged that his brother's slayer should, after years of search, be
discovered only to escape his clutches, while Mr. Parris, with assumed
piety declared:

"It is ever thus, when one covenants with the devil. An actor in the
theatres taken to the home and family of those claiming to be
Christians. Verily, I am not surprised that he is also a murderer. When
one lets go his hold on the Lord, there can be no crime to which he will
not descend."

The household was roused, and Cora was informed of her father's narrow
escape. Mr. Martin from Virginia had a requisition from that colony for
his arrest. She wept, but said not a word. When the disappointed
officers went away, Charles sought to comfort her; but she answered:

"Cruel fate seems to have doomed me to misery, Charles. Father cannot
return; I cannot escape, and I feel that Mr. Parris is drawing a net
about me, which will entangle my feet."

"Trust in God, and all is well!" Charles answered. Often, in their
darkest hours, her pious father had offered the same advice, for he was
a firm believer in divine intervention in human affairs.

Next day a daughter of Goody Nurse came to the house, weeping as if her
heart would break.

"What is the matter, Sarah?" asked Mrs. Stevens.

"Mother is arrested!" sobbed the young woman.

"Arrested!"

"Yes."

"For what charge?" Charles asked.

"For being a witch. A warrant has been sworn out against her, and she
was taken away this morning." Here the unfortunate young woman broke
down and sobbed in silence.

"Where was she taken?" asked Mrs. Stevens.

"To jail and put in irons, for a witch must be put in irons. It is
charged that she hath bewitched Abigail Williams and the other children
of Mr. Parris' circle."

Were Mr. Parris a creation of fiction and not a real character of
history, no doubt the critic would say he was overdrawn; but Samuel
Parris was a living, breathing man, or a fiend in human form. He had a
large following, and was spoken of as our beloved pastor. Mr. George
Bancroft, America's greatest historian, says:[D]

[Footnote D: Bancroft's "History of the United States", vol. ii.,
p. 256.]

"The delusion, but for