rofound
attention, while Mistress Brewster, to whom alone the girl would reply,
extracted from her a most startling story.

"The captain first of all asked me to wife, and if he had not been wiled
away from me by artful"--

"Nay, nay, Desire, thou 'rt not to say such things as that," interposed
the dame with gentle severity, and Bradford added in much the same
tone,--

"'T was thine own idle fancy, girl, that set thee on such a notion. The
captain hath averred to me as Christian man that he never made proffer
to thee nor wished so to do since first he set eyes on thee."

"He did then," muttered Desire sullenly, and Mistress Brewster
interposed.

"Leaving that aside, tell us, Desire, what didst thou give the captain
to drink, and why didst say that Priscilla sent it?"

"Marry, because she hath bewitched him, and I wot well he would take it
from her without gainsaying."

"But what was it thou gavest him?"

"'T was--there was a wench here with the savages, and Squanto told me
she was a wise woman and knew how to work spells"--

"Well then, go on, Desire."

"And so I went with her pulling herbs in the fields and swamps, and with
one word English and one of jabber, we knew each other's meaning, and I
gave her the buckle of my belt which was broke and none here could mend
it."

"A generous gift, truly," interposed the elder, but his wife beseeching
silence with a gesture asked,--

"And what gave she thee, Desire?"

"Some herbs, mother."

"And what were the herbs to do?"

"She said steep them well, and give the broth to any man I fancied, and
it would turn his fancy on me."

"A love philtre! _Vade retrograde Sathanas!_" exclaimed the elder half
rising from his chair, but here the doctor eagerly interposed,--

"What like was the herb, girl? Hast any of it in store for a second
dose?"

"Mayhap--a little," muttered Desire twisting and turning, but seeing no
means of escape.

"Go and fetch it," commanded the elder. "And Priscilla do thou go too
and see that the wretched creature doth not make way with it."

"And sith John Howland is after a sort betrothed to the poor bemused
child, I think it well to summon him, that he may advise with us as to
the sequela of this folly. I will call him to the Council." And Bradford
followed the two girls from the room.

"If she hath murdered the captain, she shall die the death," exclaimed
the elder striding about the room, and pausing before the great chair
where hi