The Lancashire Witches: A Romance of Pendle Forest

of barefoot monks, who had been permitted to attend, set out from the abbey. Behind them came a varlet with a paper mitre on his head, and a lathen crosier in his hand, covered

nted a grotesque figure in a half-military, half-monastic garb,

warrior-ric

hanged at

ting closely to his sinewy limbs, and wrapped in a houppeland of the same colour as the hose, with a coil of rope round his neck. He walked between two ill-favoured personages habited in black, wh

hurch, and went on in the direction of the village of Whalley. When near the east end of the holy edifice, the abbot beheld two coffins borne along, and, on inquiry, learnt that they contained the bodies of Bess Demd

eaching Whalley, every door was found closed, and every window shut; so that the spectacle w

her was arrested he wholly abandoned him. Still the owner of Wiswall had not altogether escaped suspicion, and it was probably as much with the view of degrading him as of adding to the abbot's punishment, that the latter was taken to the hall on the morning of his execution. Be this as it may, the cortège toiled thither through roads bad in the best of seasons, but now, since the heavy rain

s, recalled seasons with which, though they might awaken regret, no guilty associations were connected. Dark was the hall, and desolate, but on the fine old trees around it the rooks were settling, and their loud cawings pleased him, and excited gentle emotions. For a few moments he grew young again, and forgot why he was there. Fondly surveying the house,

h his sentence, was read by a herald, after which the reversed blazonry was fastened upon the door of the hall, just below a stone escutcheon on which was carv

the hood drawn over his face, forced his way towards the tumbrel, and while

t assured ey'n avenge you. Demdike shan ha' mey Shef

t all weapons forged by men," replied Paslew, who recognised the voice of

ied Hal. "Then ey'n reach him wi'

nd in half an hour the cavalcade arrived at

beaten; and trumpets sounded from the outer and inner gateway, and from the three quadrangles. The cavalcade drew up in front of the great northern entrance; and its return being a

task was roughly performed by the wizard's two ill-favoured assistants, the crowd of rustics who looked on, murmured and exhibited such strong tokens of displeasure, that the guard thought it prudent to keep them off with their halberts. But when all was done, Demdike motioned to a man standing behind him to

nd my dagger shall save th

not recall it if I could. As I have said, thy child shall be a w

ize thee!" cried th

ly, "thou canst not harm me beyond the grave. Look to thysel

who had custody of the infant could prevent it, his little charge was snatched from him. Thu

he demanded of the fel

o is disappearing through the gateway,"

rding the dark figure with a look of d

" echoed the a

me-revenge!" cried Demdike,

peedily," replied the abbot;

ed Demdike; "I shall live lo