u?"

"Upon my throat, to stop my breath."

"What did this Goody Nurse do?"

"She pinch me until de blood came."

At this, Ann Putnam had a fit and was carried out. Abigail Williams was
called to the stand and asked:

"Abigail Williams, did you see a company at Mr. Parris' house eat and
drink?"

"Yes sir; that was their sacrament."

"How many were there?"

"About forty. Goody Cloyse and Goody Good were their deacons."

"What was it?"

"They said it was our blood, and they had it twice that day."

"Have you seen a white man?"

"Yes sir, a great many times."

"What sort of a man was he?"

"A fine, grave man, and when he came, he made all the witches to
tremble."

"Did you see the party of witches at Deacon Ingersol's?"

"I did."

"Who was there?"

"Goody Cloyse, Goody Corey, Goody Nurse and Goody Good."

Then the examining magistrate turned to the old, infirm and unfortunate
prisoner, and asked:

"What do you say, Goody Nurse, to these things?"

The old, sick woman, summoning up all her energies, answered:

"I take God to be my witness, that I know nothing of it, no more than
the child unborn."

The jury did not consider the evidence strong enough for hanging an old
lady, who had been the ornament of their church and the glory of their
village and its society, and they brought in a verdict of "not guilty."

The momentary rejoicing of the triumphant defendants was drowned by the
howls of the afflicted and the upbraiding of Mr. Parris. One judge
declared himself dissatisfied; another promised to have her tried anew;
and the chief justice pointed out a phrase used by the prisoner, which
might be made to signify that she was one of the accused gang in guilt,
as well as in jeopardy. It might really seem as if the authorities were
all scheming together, when we see the ingenuity and persistence with
which they discussed the three words "of our company," as used by the
accused.

The poor old woman offered an explanation, which ought to have been
satisfactory.

"I intended no otherwise than as they were prisoners with us, and
therefore did then, and yet do judge them not legal evidence against
their fellow-prisoners. And I, being something hard of hearing and full
of grief, none informing me how the court took up my words, therefore
had no opportunity to declare what I intended when I said they were of
our company."

The foreman of the jury would have taken a favorable view of this
matter, an