"Seize him! seize the boy! the boy! the blasphemer!" yelled the hag.
Ludlow placed his hand on David's head, and looked with a smile on the crowd nearest.
"Does her madness usually take this form, gentlemen?" he added; "does she usually show this animosity to little boys and children?"
At this question, which was asked in an easy and natural manner, the crowd looked abashed.
They began to think that the woman was crazy. Those to whom Ludlow had spoken were the very men who had brought the beam but a few minutes before. They now edged slowly away, and began to think that they had done a very silly thing.
"What's the trouble, signori?" asked Ludlow, in the same easy tone, of those who were nearest.
"Well, they say there are some people inside that desecrated the church—some boys—"
"What—boys?" said Ludlow, with a smile. "Who says so?"
The men shrugged their shoulders.
"She says so."