the mysterious stranger-第11章

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was　not　able　to　remember　any　of　the　details　without　having　them　called　to
her　mind　one　after　the　other；　but　the　commission　did　that；　for　they　knew
just　what　questions　to　ask；　they　being　all　written　down　for　the　use　of
witch…commissioners　two　centuries　before。　　They　asked；　〃Did　you　do　so　and
so？〃　and　she　always　said　yes；　and　looked　weary　and　tired；　and　took　no
interest　in　it。　　And　so　when　the　other　ten　heard　that　this　one　confessed；
they　confessed；　too；　and　answered　yes　to　the　questions。　　Then　they　were
burned　at　the　stake　all　together；　which　was　just　and　right；　and　everybody
went　from　all　the　countryside　to　see　it。　　I　went；　too；　but　when　I　saw
that　one　of　them　was　a　bonny；　sweet　girl　I　used　to　play　with；　and　looked
so　pitiful　there　chained　to　the　stake；　and　her　mother　crying　over　her　and
devouring　her　with　kisses　and　clinging　around　her　neck；　and　saying；　〃Oh；
my　God！　　oh；　my　God！〃　it　was　too　dreadful；　and　I　went　away。

It　was　bitter　cold　weather　when　Gottfried's　grandmother　was　burned。　　It
was　charged　that　she　had　cured　bad　headaches　by　kneading　the　person's
head　and　neck　with　her　fingersas　she　saidbut　really　by　the　Devil's
help；　as　everybody　knew。　　They　were　going　to　examine　her；　but　she　stopped
them；　and　confessed　straight　off　that　her　power　was　from　the　Devil。　　So
they　appointed　to　burn　her　next　morning；　early；　in　our　market…square。
The　officer　who　was　to　prepare　the　fire　was　there　first；　and　prepared　it。
She　was　there　nextbrought　by　the　constables；　who　left　her　and　went　to
fetch　another　witch。　　Her　family　did　not　come　with　her。　　They　might　be
reviled；　maybe　stoned；　if　the　people　were　excited。　　I　came；　and　gave　her
an　apple。　　She　was　squatting　at　the　fire；　warming　herself　and　waiting；
and　her　old　lips　and　hands　were　blue　with　the　cold。　　A　stranger　came
next。　　He　was　a　traveler；　passing　through；　and　he　spoke　to　her　gently；
and；　seeing　nobody　but　me　there　to　hear；　said　he　was　sorry　for　her。　　And
he　asked　if　what　she　confessed　was　true；　and　she　said　no。　　He　looked
surprised　and　still　more　sorry　then；　and　asked　her：

〃Then　why　did　you　confess？〃

〃I　am　old　and　very　poor；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　work　for　my　living。　　There　was
no　way　but　to　confess。　　If　I　hadn't　they　might　have　set　me　free。　　That
would　ruin　me；　for　no　one　would　forget　that　I　had　been　suspected　of　being
a　witch；　and　so　I　would　get　no　more　work；　and　wherever　I　went　they　would
set　the　dogs　on　me。　　In　a　little　while　I　would　starve。　　The　fire　is　best；
it　is　soon　over。　　You　have　been　good　to　me；　you　two；　and　I　thank　you。〃

She　snuggled　closer　to　the　fire；　and　put　out　her　hands　to　warm　them；　the
snow…flakes　descending　soft　and　still　on　her　old　gray　head　and　making　it
white　and　whiter。　　The　crowd　was　gathering　now；　and　an　egg　came　flying
and　struck　her　in　the　eye；　and　broke　and　ran　down　her　face。　　There　was　a
laugh　at　that。

I　told　Satan　all　about　the　eleven　girls　and　the　old　woman；　once；　but　it
did　not　affect　him。　　He　only　said　it　was　the　human　race；　and　what　the
human　race　did　was　of　no　consequence。　　And　he　said　he　had　seen　it　made；
and　it　was　not　made　of　clay；　it　was　made　of　mudpart　of　it　was；　anyway。
I　knew　what　he　meant　by　thatthe　Moral　Sense。　　He　saw　the　thought　in　my
head；　and　it　tickled　him　and　made　him　laugh。　　Then　he　called　a　bullock
out　of　a　pasture　and　petted　it　and　talked　with　it；　and　said：

〃Therehe　wouldn't　drive　children　mad　with　hunger　and　fright　and
loneliness；　and　then　burn　them　for　confessing　to　things　invented　for　them
which　had　never　happened。　　And　neither　would　he　break　the　hearts　of
innocent；　poor　old　women　and　make　them　afraid　to　trust　themselves　among
their　own　race；　and　he　would　not　insult　them　in　their　death…agony。　　For
he　is　not　besmirched　with　the　Moral　Sense；　but　is　as　the　angels　are；　and
knows　no　wrong；　and　never　does　it。〃

Lovely　as　he　was；　Satan　could　be　cruelly　offensive　when　he　chose；　and　he
always　chose　when　the　human　race　was　brought　to　his　attention。　　He　always
turned　up　his　nose　at　it；　and　never　had　a　kind　word　for　it。

Well；　as　I　was　saying；　we　boys　doubted　if　it　was　a　good　time　for　Ursula
to　be　hiring　a　member　of　the　Narr　family。　　We　were　right。　　When　the
people　found　it　out　they　were　naturally　indignant。　　And；　moreover；　since
Marget　and　Ursula　hadn't　enough　to　eat　themselves；　where　was　the　money
coming　from　to　feed　another　mouth？　　That　is　what　they　wanted　to　know；　and
in　order　to　find　out　they　stopped　avoiding　Gottfried　and　began　to　seek
his　society　and　have　sociable　conversations　with　him。　　He　was　pleased
not　thinking　any　harm　and　not　seeing　the　trapand　so　he　talked
innocently　along；　and　was　no　discreeter　than　a　cow。

〃Money！〃　he　said；　〃they've　got　plenty　of　it。　　They　pay　me　two　groschen　a
week；　besides　my　keep。　　And　they　live　on　the　fat　of　the　land；　I　can　tell
you；　the　prince　himself　can't　beat　their　table。〃

This　astonishing　statement　was　conveyed　by　the　astrologer　to　Father　Adolf
on　a　Sunday　morning　when　he　was　returning　from　mass。　　He　was　deeply
moved；　and　said：

〃This　must　be　looked　into。〃

He　said　there　must　be　witchcraft　at　the　bottom　of　it；　and　told　the
villagers　to　resume　relations　with　Marget　and　Ursula　in　a　private　and
unostentatious　way；　and　keep　both　eyes　open。　　They　were　told　to　keep
their　own　counsel；　and　not　rouse　the　suspicions　of　the　household。　　The
villagers　were　at　first　a　bit　reluctant　to　enter　such　a　dreadful　place；
but　the　priest　said　they　would　be　under　his　protection　while　there；　and
no　harm　could　come　to　them；　particularly　if　they　carried　a　trifle　of　holy
water　along　and　kept　their　beads　and　crosses　handy。　　This　satisfied　them
and　made　them　willing　to　go；　envy　and　malice　made　the　baser　sort　even
eager　to　go。

And　so　poor　Marget　began　to　have　company　again；　and　was　as　pleased　as　a
cat。　　She　was　like　'most　anybody　elsejust　human；　and　happy　in　her
prosperities　and　not　averse　from　showing　them　off　a　little；　and　she　was
humanly　grateful　to　have　the　warm　shoulder　turned　to　her　and　be　smiled
upon　by　her　friends　and　the　village　again；　for　of　all　the　hard　things　to
bear；　to　be　cut　by　your　neighbors　and　left　in　contemptuous　solitude　is
maybe　the　hardest。

The　bars　were　down；　and　we　could　all　go　there　now；　and　we　didour
parents　and　allday　after　day。　　The　cat　began　to　strain　herself。　　She
provided　the　top　of　everything　for　those　companies；　and　in　abundance
among　them　many　a　dish　and　many　a　wine　which　they　had　not　tasted　before
and　which　they　had　not　even　heard　of　except　at　second…hand　from　the
prince's　servants。　　And　the　tableware　was　much　above　ordinary；　too。

Marget　was　troubled　at　times；　and　pursued　Ursula　with　questions　to　an
uncomfortable　degree；　but　Ursula　stood　her　ground　and　stuck　to　it　that　it
was　Providence；　and　said　no　word　about　the　cat。　　Marget　knew　that　nothing
was　impossible　to　Providence；　but　she　could　not　help　having　doubts　that
this　effort　was　from　there；　though　she　was　afraid　to　say　so；　lest
disaster　come　of　it。　　Witchcraft　occurred　to　her；　but　she　put　the　thought
aside；　for　this　was　before　Gottfried　joined　the　household；　and　she　knew
Ursula　was　pious　and　a　bitter　hater　of　witches。　　By　the　time　Gottfried
arrived　Providence　was　established；　unshakably　intrenched；　and　getting
all　the　gratitude。　　The　cat　made　no　murmur；　but　went　on　composedly
improving　in　style　and　prodigality　by　experience。

In　any　community；　big　or　little；　there　is　always　a　fair　proportion　of
people　who　are　not　malicious　or　unkind　by　nature；　and　who　never　do　unkind
things　except　when　they　are　overmastered　by　fear；　or　when　their　self…
interest　is　greatly　in　danger；　or　some　such　matter　as　that。　　Eseldorf　had
its　proportion　of　such　people；　and　ordinarily　their　good　and　gentle
influence　was　felt；　but　these　were　not　ordinary　timeson　account　of　the
witch…dreadand　so　we　did　not　seem　to　have　any　gentle　and　compassionate
hearts　left；　to　speak　of。　　Every　person　was　frightened　at　the
unaccountable　state　of　things　at　Marget's　house；　not　doubting　that
witchcraft　was　at　the　bottom　of　it；　and　fright　frenzied　their　reason。
Naturally　there　were　some　who　pitied　Marget　and　Ursula　for　the　danger
that　was　gathering　about　them；　but　naturally　they　did　not　say　so；　it
would　not　have　been　safe。　　So　the　others　had　it　all　their　own　way；　a