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By Mary Johnston


 HAGAR.

 THE LONG ROLL. The first of two books dealing with the war between the
 States. With Illustrations in color by N. C. WYETH.

 CEASE FIRING. The second of two books dealing with the war between the
 States. With Illustrations in color by N. C. WYETH.

 LEWIS RAND. With Illustrations in color by F. C. YOHN.

 AUDREY. With Illustrations in color by F. C. YOHN.

 PRISONERS OF HOPE. With Frontispiece.

 TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. With 8 Illustrations by HOWARD PYLE, E. B.
 THOMPSON, A. W. BETTS, and EMLEN MCCONNELL.

 THE GODDESS OF REASON. _A Drama._


HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

[Illustration:
  (p. 154)
“GOOD-BYE, MISTRESS FRIENDLY-SOUL!”]




                               THE WITCH

                                  BY

                             MARY JOHNSTON

[Illustration: LOGO]

                          BOSTON AND NEW YORK

                       HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

                     The Riverside Press Cambridge

                                 1914




                   COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY MARY JOHNSTON

                          ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

                       _Published October 1914_




                               CONTENTS


                I. THE QUEEN’S CHAMBER                    1

               II. THE CAP AND BELLS                     10

              III. THE TWO PHYSICIANS                    24

               IV. THE ROSE TAVERN                       37

                V. THE ROAD TO HAWTHORN                  54

               VI. THE MAN WITH THE HAWK                 69

              VII. JOAN                                  82

             VIII. THE SQUIRE’S BROTHER                  97

               IX. THE OAK GRANGE                       109

                X. IN HAWTHORN FOREST                   124

               XI. THE PLAGUE                           136

              XII. HERON’S COTTAGE                      151

             XIII. HAWTHORN CHURCH                      165

              XIV. NIGHT                                176

               XV. NEXT DAY                             188

              XVI. MASTER THOMAS CLEMENT                204

             XVII. MOTHER SPURAWAY                      218

            XVIII. THE GAOL                             235

              XIX. ADERHOLD AND CARTHEW                 246

               XX. THE WITCH JUDGE                      260

              XXI. THE WITCH                            272

             XXII. ESCAPE                               281

            XXIII. THE ROAD TO THE PORT                 298

             XXIV. THE FARTHER ROAD                     312

              XXV. THE SILVER QUEEN                     327

             XXVI. THE OPEN BOAT                        342

            XXVII. THE ISLAND                           351

           XXVIII. FOUR YEARS                           362

             XXIX. THE SPANIARDS                        376

              XXX. THE ISLET                            387

             XXXI. THE HOUR-GLASS                       404

            XXXII. A JOURNEY                            420




                               THE WITCH




                               THE WITCH




CHAPTER I

THE QUEEN’S CHAMBER


IT was said that the Queen was dying. She lay at Richmond, in the
palace looking out upon the wintry, wooded, March-shaken park, but
London, a few miles away, had daily news of how she did. There was
much talk about her--the old Queen—much telling of stories and
harking back. She had had a long reign—“Not far from fifty years, my
masters!”—and in it many important things had happened. The crowd in
the streets, the barge and wherry folk upon the wind-ruffled river,
the roisterers in the taverns drinking ale or sack, merchants and
citizens in general talking of the times in the intervals of business,
old soldiers and seamen ashore, all manner of folk, indeed, agreed
upon the one most important thing. The most important thing had been
the scattering of the Armada fifteen years before. That disposed of,
opinions differed as to the next most important. The old soldiers were
for all fighting wherever it had occurred. The seamen and returned
adventurers threw for the voyages of Drake and Frobisher and Gilbert
and Raleigh. With these were inclined to agree the great merchants
and guild-masters who were venturing in the East India and other
joint-stock companies. The little merchant and guild fellows agreed
with the great. A very large number of all classes claimed for the
