"You wretch! to harm an innocent little creature like that!" and she smoothed the feathers of the bird and kissed its little head.
"Take it from her! kill the witch!" cried some rude women in the outer circles of the crowd.
"Yes, mistress, this is more than good Christian people can be expected to endure," said constable Herrick, sternly, snatching the bird from her and tossing it into the fire.

"Let us see if the imp will burn any quicker than the book." "Ah, she forgot to charm it," said the other constable, as the little feathers blazed up in a blue flame.
"Yes, but note the color," said Jethro.

"No Christian bird ever blazed in that color." "Neither they ever did!" echoed another, and they looked into each other's faces and shook their heads solemnly.
At this moment Antipas Newton was led to the door of the room, in the custody of another officer.

The old man seemed to be taking the whole proceeding very quietly and patiently, as the Quakers always did.

But the moment he saw Dulcibel weeping, with Herrick's grasp upon her arm, his whole demeanor changed.
"What devil's mischief is this ?" cried the demented man; and springing like an enraged lion upon Master Herrick, he dashed him against the opposite wall, tore his constable's staff from his hands and laying the staff around him wildly and ferociously cleared the room of everybody save Dulcibel and himself in less time than I have taken to tell it.
Jethro stepped forward with his drawn rapier to cover the retreat of the constables; but shouting, "the sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" the deranged man, with the stout oaken staff, dashed the rapier from Jethro's hand, and administered to him a sounding whack over the head, which made the blood come.