m to be
seated.

"I was just on the point of showing to Sir William the most remarkable
curiosities of even this very remarkable era--and he suggested that you
also doubtless would like to see them," said the minister; at this time
a man of about thirty years of age. He was a rather comely and
intelligent looking man, and Master Raymond wondered that one who
appeared so intellectual, should be the victim of such absurd
hallucinations.

Lady Mary bent her head approvingly, in answer to the minister. "I
should like very much to see them," she replied courteously; and Master
Mather continued:--

"In the work I have been preparing on the "Wonders of the Invisible
World," several of the sheets of which I have already shown to Sir
William, I have collected many curious and wonderful instances. Thus in
the case of the eldest daughter of Master John Goodwin, whom I took to
my own house, in order that I might more thoroughly investigate the
spiritual and physical phenomena of witchcraft, I found that while the
devils that tormented her were familiar with Latin, Greek and Hebrew,
they seemed to have very little knowledge of the various Indian
dialects."

"That certainly is very curious," replied Sir William, "inasmuch as
those heathen are undeniably the children of the devil, as all our
wisest and most godly ministers agree."

"Yes," continued the minister, "it is true; and that makes me
conjecture, that these devils were in fact only playing a part; to
deceive me into thinking that the red heathen around us were not really
the children of Satan, as they undoubtedly are."

"I think that the most reasonable view," responded the Governor.

"As to the reality of this new assault by Satan upon this little seed of
God's people in the new world," continued Master Mather, fervently, "I
have now no doubt whatever. Proof has been multiplied upon proof, and
the man, or woman, who does not by this time believe, is simply one of
those deplorable doubters, like Thomas, who never can be convinced. For
my part, I consider Witchcraft the most nefandous high treason against
the Majesty on High! And a principal design of my book is to manifest
its hideous enormity, and to promote a pious thankfulness to God that
Justice so far is being inflexibly executed among us."

Lady Mary's face flushed a little, for she saw the drift of the
minister's censure. It was well known in all the inner circles, that she
had neither faith in the reality of