the vulgar notions of a dabbler in the black
art than did Adam Warner, with his comely countenance and noble mien.

"So she doth, indeed, and verily," said a hump-backed tinker; "if we
were to try a dip in the horsepool yonder it could do no harm."

"Away with her, away!" cried several voices at that humane suggestion.

"Nay, nay," quoth the baker, "she is a douce creature after all,
and hath dealt with me many years. I don't care what becomes of the
wizard,--every one knows," he added with pride, "that I was one of the
first to set fire to his house when Robin gainsayed it! but right's
right--burn the master, not the drudge!"

This intercession might have prevailed, but unhappily, at that moment
Graul Skellet, who had secured two stout fellows to accomplish the
object so desired by Friar Bungey, laid hands on the model, and, at her
shrill command, the men advanced and dislodged it from its place. At the
same tine the other tymbesteres, caught by the sight of things pleasing
to their wonted tastes, threw themselves, one upon the faded robe
Sibyll's mother had worn in her chaste and happy youth; another, upon
poor Madge's silver brooch; a third, upon the gittern.

These various attacks roused up all the spirit and wrath of the old
woman: her cries of distress as she darted from one to the other,
striking to the right and left with her feeble arms, her form trembling
with passion, were at once ludicrous and piteous; and these were
responded to by the shrill exclamations of the fierce tymbesteres, as
they retorted scratch for scratch, and blow for blow. The spectators
grew animated by the sight of actual outrage and resistance; the
humpbacked tinker, whose unwholesome fancy one of the aggrieved
tymbesteres had mightily warmed, hastened to the relief of his virago;
and rendered furious by finding ten nails fastened suddenly on his face,
he struck down the poor creature by a blow that stunned her, seized her
in his arms,--for deformed and weakly as the tinker was, the old woman,
now sense and spirit were gone, was as light as skin and bone could
be,--and followed by half a score of his comrades, whooping and
laughing, bore her down the stairs. Tim's father, who, whether from
parental affection, or, as is more probable, from the jealous hatred
and prejudice of ignorant industry, was bent upon Adam's destruction,
hallooed on some of his fierce fellows into the garden, tracked the
footsteps of the fugitives by the trampled