Chapter Eight Summary

With the end of the storm, the ship is undergoing repairs and Martha's mental health improves. Bess gets better acquainted with Will Hallett, who was raised and educated by nobles when his father was unjustly hanged, and who recently escaped an apprenticeship with a cruel master.

The ship arrives at Boston and the passengers meet Chickatabot, a friendly Indian who trades furs for pipes and knives. Bess is fascinated by him.

Bess continues to hear rumors of people who have been banished from John Winthrop's colony for their beliefs, such as Roger Williams and Phillip Ratcliffe. It seems as though Winthrop is behaving as a king, punishing anyone who does not agree with him. Bess still fears him, and is angry when she finds he has arranged another marriage for her, this time with the jeweler, Robert Feake.

There is much...