'The law doth not permit a child to make or meddle in any
weighty matter, good my liege, holding that its callow wit unfitteth
it to cope with the riper wit and evil schemings of them that are
its elders. The devil may buy a child, if he so choose, and the
child agree thereto, but not an Englishman- in this latter case the
contract would be null and void.'
'It seemeth a rude unchristian thing, and ill contrived, that
English law denieth privileges to Englishmen, to waste them on the
devil!' cried Tom, with honest heat.
This novel view of the matter excited many smiles, and was
stored away in many heads to be repeated about the court as evidence
of Tom's originality as well as progress toward mental health.
The elder culprit had ceased from sobbing, and was hanging upon
Tom's words with an excited interest and a growing hope. Tom noticed
this, and it strongly inclined his sympathies toward her in her
perilous and unfriended situation. Presently he asked:
'How wrought they, to bring the storm?'
'By pulling off their stockings, sire.'
This astonished Tom, and also fired his curiosity to fever heat.
He said eagerly:
'It is wonderful! Hath it always this dread effect?'
'Always, my liege- at least if the woman desire it, and utter
the needful words, either in her mind or with her tongue.'
Tom turned to the woman, and said with impetuous zeal:
'Exert thy power- I would see a storm.'
There was a sudden paling of cheeks in the superstitious
assemblage, and a general, though unexpressed, desire to get out of
the place- all of which was lost upon Tom, who was dead to
everything but the proposed cataclysm.
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