"Nay, nay, Desire, thou 'rt not to say such things as that," interposed the dame with gentle severity, and Bradford added in much the same tone,—
"'T was thine own idle fancy, girl, that set thee on such a notion. The captain hath averred to me as Christian man that he never made proffer to thee nor wished so to do since first he set eyes on thee."
"He did then," muttered Desire sullenly, and Mistress Brewster interposed.
"Leaving that aside, tell us, Desire, what didst thou give the captain to drink, and why didst say that Priscilla sent it?"
"Marry, because she hath bewitched him, and I wot well he would take it from her without gainsaying."
"But what was it thou gavest him?"
"'T was—there was a wench here with the savages, and Squanto told me she was a wise woman and knew how to work spells"—
"Well then, go on, Desire."
"And so I went with her pulling herbs in the fields and swamps, and with one word English and one of jabber, we knew each other's meaning, and I gave her the buckle of my belt which was broke and none here could mend it."
"A generous gift, truly," interposed the elder, but his wife beseeching silence with a gesture asked,—