“Not many minutes since,” replied Nicholas.  “In fact, she may be here still for aught I know.”

“Here!—­where?” cried Potts, looking round.

“You won’t discover her for all your quickness,” replied Nicholas.  “She has rendered herself invisible, by reciting the magical verses inscribed on that cross.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed the attorney, closely examining the mysterious inscriptions.  “What strange, uncouth characters!  I can make neither head nor tail, unless it be the devil’s tail, of them.”

At this moment a whoop was raised by Jem Device, who, having taken his little sister home, had returned to the sports on the green, and now formed part of the assemblage in the churchyard.  Between the rival witch potentates, Mothers Demdike and Chattox, it has already been said a deadly enmity existed, and the feud was carried on with equal animosity by their descendants; and though Jem himself came under the same suspicion as Nan Redferne, that circumstance created no tie of interest between them, but the contrary, and he was the most active of her assailants.  He had set up the above-mentioned cry from observing a large rat running along the side of the wall.

“Theere hoo goes,” whooped Jem, “t’owd witch, i’ th’ shape ov a rotten!—­loo-loo-loo!”

Half the crowd started in pursuit of the animal, and twenty sticks were thrown at it, but a stone cast by Jem stayed its progress, and it was instantly despatched.  It did not change, however, as was expected by the credulous hinds, into an old woman, and they gave vent to their disappointment and rage in renewed threats against Nan Redferne.  The dead rat was hurled at her by Jem, but missing its mark, it hit Master Potts on the head, and nearly knocked him off the cross, upon which he had mounted to obtain a better view of the proceedings.  Irritated by this circumstance, as well as by the failure of the experiment, the little attorney jumped down and fell to kicking the unfortunate rat, after which, his fury being somewhat appeased, he turned to Nance, who had sunk for support against the pedestal, and said to her—­“If you will tell us what has become of the old witch your grandmother, and undertake to bear witness against her, you shall be set free.”

“Ey’n tell ye nowt, mon,” replied Nance, doggedly.  “Put me to onny trial ye like, ye shanna get a word fro me.”

“That remains to be seen,” retorted Potts, “but I apprehend we shall make you speak, and pretty plainly too, before we’ve done with you.—­You hear what this perverse and wrong-headed young witch declares, masters,” he shouted, again clambering upon the cross.  “I have offered her liberty, on condition of disclosing to us the manner of her diabolical old relative’s evasion, and she rejects it.”

An angry roar followed, mixed with cries from Jem Device, of “swim her!—­swim her!”

“You had better tell them what you know, Nance,” said Richard, in a low tone, “or I shall have difficulty in preserving you from their fury.”