“The tall man with the chain cried out that he was mayor or provost—­ I forget which—­and the woman must be given up as a proved witch who had laid the wickedest spells upon many citizens of Dunquerque.  All this he had to shout; for Affonzo, who—­either ignorantly or by choice—­was already on Satan’s side, would not suffer him to come aboard or even nigh the ship’s ladder.  Moreover, he drove below so many of our crew as had gathered to the side to listen, commanding me with curses to see to this.  Yet I heard something of the mayor’s accusation; which was that the woman had come to Dunquerque, travelling as a great lady with a retinue of servants and letters of commendation to the religious houses, on which and on many private persons of note she had bestowed relics of our Lord and the saints, pretending it was for a penance that she journeyed and gave the bounties:  but that, at a certain hour, these relics had turned into toads, adders, and all manner of abominable offal, defiling the holy places and private shrines, in some instances the very church altars:  that upon the outcry her retinue had vanished, and she herself taken to flight as we saw her running.

“At all this Affonzo scoffed, threatening to sink the boat if further troubled with their importunities.  And, the provost using threats in return, he gave order to let weigh incontinently and clear with the tide, which by this was turned to ebb.  And so, amid curses which we answered by display of our guns, we stood out from that port.  Of the master’s purpose I make no guess.  Either he was bewitched, or the woman had taken him with her beauty, and he dreamed of finding favour with her.

“This only I know, that on the second morning, she standing on deck beside him, he offered some familiar approach; whereupon the dog flew at him, and I believe would have killed him, but was in time called off by her.  Within an hour we met with the weather which after three days drove us ashore.  Now whether Affonzo suspected her true nature or not—­ as I know he had taken a great fear of her—­I never had time to discover.  But I know her for a witch, and for a witch I tried to make away with her.  For the rest, may God pardon me!”

All this the man uttered not as I have written it, but with many gasping interruptions; and afterwards lay back as one dead.  Before I could make head or tail of my wonder, I heard cries and a clatter from the courtyard, and ran out to see what was amiss.

In the courtyard I found my Master with a dozen men closing the bolts of the great gate against a company who rained blows and hammerings on the outside of it.  My Master had dismounted, and while he called his orders the blood ran down his face from a cut above the forehead.  As for the smoking horses on which they had ridden in, these stood huddling, rubbing shoulders, and facing all ways like a knot of frightened colts.