ed Rector to hold their idolatrous
services in, we might have known that Satan was at our doors!"

"Oh, that such horrible things should happen in the godly town of
Boston!" responded Squire Hathorne. "But when the King interfered
between Justice and the Quakers, and forbade the righteous discipline
we were exercising upon them, of course a door was opened for all other
latitudinarianism and false doctrine. Why, I am told that there are now
quite a number of Quakers in Boston; and that they even had the
assurance to apply to the magistrates the other day, for permission to
erect a meeting-house!"

"Impossible!" exclaimed Master Putnam. "They ought to have been whipped
out of their presence."

"Yes," continued the worthy Magistrate irefully; "but when the King
ordered that the right of voting for our rulers should no longer be
restricted to church-members; but that every man of fair estate and good
moral character, as he phrases it, should be allowed to vote, even if he
is not a member at all, he aimed a blow at the very Magistracy itself."

"Yes, that is worse than heresy! And how can a man possess a good moral
character, without being a member of the true church?"

"Of course--that is self-evident. But it shows how the righteous seed is
being over-flooded with iniquity, even in its last chosen house; how our
Canaan is being given up to the Philistines. And therefore it is,
doubtless, that Satan, in the pride of his success, is introducing his
emissaries into the very house of the Lord itself; and promising great
rewards to them who will bow down and sign their names in his red book,
and worship him. Ah! we have fallen on evil times, Master Putnam."

And so the two worthy Puritans condoled with each other, until, Master
Putnam, bethinking himself that he had some worldly business to attend
to, Squire Hathorne proceeded to give the necessary directions for the
removal of the three prisoners from Salem to Boston jail.

This was accomplished that very night, as Mistress Putnam had suggested;
Deputy Marshall Herrick and a constable guarding the party. Dulcibel
occupied a pillion behind jailer Foster; Master English and his wife
rode together; while Master Herrick and the constable each had a horse
to himself.

The original plan was for Dulcibel to ride behind Master Herrick; but
upon jailer Foster representing that there might be some danger of a
rescue, and offering to join the party, it was arranged that he should