says that at this point she answered the question thus put to her by Abigail thus:  “Dear child, it is not so.  There is another judgment, dear child.”  But kindness was thrown away upon them; for Parris says that immediately “Abigail and Ann had fits.”  After coming out of them, “they cried out, ‘Look you! there is Goody Procter upon the beam.’” Instantly, as we may well suppose, the whole audience looked where they pointed.  Their manner gave assurance that they saw her “on the beam,” among the rafters of the meeting-house; but she was invisible to all other eyes.  The people, no doubt, were filled with amazement at such supernaturalism.  But John Procter, her husband, did not believe a word of it:  and it is not to be doubted that he expressed his indignation at the nonsense and the outrage in his usual bold, strong, and unguarded language, which brought down the vengeance of the girls at once on his own head; for Parris, in his report, goes on to say:—­

     “(By and by, both of them cried out of Goodman Procter
     himself, and said he was a wizard.  Immediately, many if not
     all of the bewitched had grievous fits.)

     “Ann Putnam, who hurt you?—­Goodman Procter, and his wife
     too.

     “(Afterwards, some of the afflicted cried, ’There is Procter
     going to take up Mrs. Pope’s feet!’ and her feet were
     immediately taken up.)

     “What do you say, Goodman Procter, to these things?—­I know
     not.  I am innocent.

     “(Abigail Williams cried out, ’There is Goodman Procter
     going to Mrs. Pope!’ and immediately said Pope fell into a
     fit.)”

At this point, the deputy, or some member of the Court interposed, if I interpret rightly Parris’s report, which is here obscurely expressed, inasmuch as he does not say who spoke; but the import of the words indicates that they proceeded from some member of the Court, who was perfectly deceived:—­

     “You see, the Devil will deceive you:  the children could see
     what you was going to do before the woman was hurt.  I would
     advise you to repentance, for the Devil is bringing you out.

“(Abigail Williams cried out again, ’There is Goodman Procter going to hurt Goody Bibber!’ and immediately Goody Bibber fell into a fit.  There was the like of Mary Walcot, and divers others.  Benjamin Gould gave in his testimony, that he had seen Goodman Corey and his wife, Procter and his wife, Goody Cloyse, Goody Nurse, and Goody Griggs in his chamber last Thursday night.  Elizabeth Hubbard was in a trance during the whole examination.  During the examination of Elizabeth Procter, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam both made offer to strike at said Procter; but, when Abigail’s hand came near, it opened,—­whereas it was made up into a fist before,—­and came down exceeding lightly as it drew near to said Procter, and at length, with open and extended