"And what is thy purpose with the lad?"
"I have need of him. He is my hostage to him whom I serve."
"Thou wilt not take him by force!"
"I will not. He will follow whithersoever I lead. He has neither will nor power to disobey."
"Grant a little space, I prithee. 'Tis a doleful doom for one so young."
"To-morrow my time hath expired. Either he or I must be surrendered to"——Here she pointed downwards.
"Agreed. To-morrow at this hour. We will be prepared."
The witch unwillingly departed as she came. The closet-door was shut as with a violent gust of wind, after which Dee sat pondering deeply on the matter, but unable to come to any satisfactory conclusion. He never suspected for one moment what in this evil and matter-of-fact generation would have occurred even to the most credulous—to wit, that either insanity or fanaticism, aided by fortuitous events, if we may so speak, was the cause of this delusion, at least to the unhappy woman now the object of Dee's most abstruse speculations. His thoughts, however, would often recur to his quondam associate, Kelly, and, if in the neighbourhood, which he suspected, an interview with him might possibly be of use, and afford some clue to guide their proceedings.
Committing himself to a short repose, he determined to make diligent search for this mischievous individual—having comforted in some measure the unhappy couple below stairs, who were in a state of great apprehension lest their son had already fallen a victim, and were ready to give up all for lost.
Early on the ensuing day the Doctor bent his steps towards Clegg Hall, whence the old family of that name had been dispossessed, and from whom that mysterious individual, the Red Woman, claimed descent.