Cauldron of Fear Read Online Free Page B

that. Maybe
honest people would be too afeared to say ought agin her.'
    'Then who's
accused me?' Matilda demanded. 'Surely I have the right to know at
least that much?'
    'You have the
right to whatever Master Crawley decides,' Jed replied blandly.
'Master Crawley holds papers from three bishops and from Parliament
itself. He's an official witchfinder with the best reputation a
body could want. He knows a witch when he sees one, so it don't
really matter who first testified as to what you really was, does
it? He's got all the evidence, all writ down proper, according to
the law, plenty enough to hang you right now, but he's decided to
have one last try at saving your soul first.'
    'He has?' A
flicker of new hope sprung up in Matilda's breast. 'Then please,
take me to him. I'll swear my love to the one God.'
    'That I'd
bet,' Silas grinned. 'But then anyone'd swear anything, with the
shadow of the noose over their pretty necks, wouldn't they?'
    'Then what?'
she protested. The two men exchanged looks again.
    'You'll soon see,' Jed retorted, grinning, though with little
humour in the expression. 'And so will your grandma. Master Crawley
has a special penance for witches he thinks he can save .' The way he laid
emphasis on the last word made Matilda's flesh crawl and suddenly,
despite her pain - perhaps because the pain was focussing her
thoughts - she thought she understood quite clearly what this
nightmare was really about.
    The statements
against her, if they really existed, had probably been obtained
with promises of reward, and any 'evidence' against her merely
fabrications initiated by Crawley himself. Grandma Hannah had lived
all her life simply enough in her cottage, which had belonged to
her father before her. Nathan Pennywise had been aptly named, for
he saved, invested money in the watermill with James Meldrew's
grandfather, sold his share in that some years later and bought
land, little pockets of acreage all about the area, all of which
were then, as now, rented out to local farmers.
    His careful
investment was not worth a great fortune, not by any means, but the
rents that came in every quarter day mounted up and neither he, nor
his daughter after him, ever had profligate tastes. Matilda never
questioned Hannah about money, but she knew there must be a small
nest egg somewhere, and what she knew surely must be fairly common
knowledge in Leddingham and the area about it.
    Somehow
Crawley had gotten wind of this; an aged woman, her young
granddaughter and no other living relatives that anyone knew of -
they offered themselves as easy prey to anyone unscrupulous enough
to take advantage, especially if that advantage could be taken, at
least to all appearances, by using the law. The hysterical witch
hunts of Matthew Hopkins's day were a thing of the past, but
witchcraft was still a crime in England and news still filtered
through of another unfortunate being hanged, probably for no
greater sin than living on her own, or having a lazy eye or
deformed hand. Ignorance, Matilda knew, was a terrible thing, even
more terrible all the time people like Crawley existed to exploit
it.
    And in this
case, she, Matilda, was the easiest route to whatever money Hannah
had salted away. Undoubtedly, Crawley would offer the old woman her
granddaughter's life in exchange for gold. It was blackmail, but he
would not be crude enough to state it as such. No doubt he would
tell Hannah that it was a tribute to God, paid to his servant, who
would then intercede with the Almighty on behalf of Matilda's
soul.
    Meantime,
however, the way she had been treated thus far and the way in which
Jed had spoken suggested that Crawley might see this situation as
the chance to avail himself of more than just pecuniary rewards.
Matilda pictured the hawk-nosed man's cruel eyes and thin lips and
shuddered at the prospect...
     
    The warmth of
the late summer sun was fast fading as it dipped towards the far
hills with what seemed to be growing speed, and the