01-04-潘德尔的巫师 [3]
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'Come in，'Mr Nowell said．He was a tall man with a lot of white hair．His black coat looked warm and expensive．
Alizon followed Mr Nowell into a room with a big fire．When I saw the fire， I wanted to go in，too！
'Are you cold，little one？'Mr Nowell asked me．'Come in，and sit near the fire．'
I went across the room and sat down on the floor， next to the wonderful， hot fire．
Mr Nowell sat behind a big fable． Two or three men， in black coats， stood near the window． Alizon stood in front of Mr Nowell． Her long hair was dirty， and her old dress looked dirti-er．
'Two weeks ago，on the eighteenth day of March， you met John Law near Colne，'Roger Nowell said．His voice was slow and careful．'Tell me about it．'
'I asked for money，'Alizon said．'The pedlar was very an－gry and I didn' t like him． I was angry， too， and I wanted him to die！'
' Tell me about your dog．'
“The dog is my friend．'Alizon said slowly．'I wanted a friend， and I found that dog two months ago． I told my grand－mother， and she liked the dog， too．'
'Did the dog run after the pedlar？'
'Yes， of course． I cursed the pedlar， and the dog ran after him！'Alizon said．' I'm sorry now， because Mr Law is ill．'
'She's a witch！'one of the men said quietly．
Roger Nowell stood up and walked across the room to the door．'James Device， come in． We want to question you．'
James came in and stood next to Alizon．James was thirteen years old， nearly a man， but he was afraid of many things． He began to cry．
'Don't be afraid，'Mr Nowell said．'we want you to talk abut your grandmother，Old Demdike．'
But Alizon wanted to talk．'Don' t ask him！' she said quick-ly．'I can tell you about my grandmother because I'm with her every minute of the day． I go with her from village to village． I go with her across Pendle Hill．She asks people for money and food， and I help her．'Alizon stopped．She looked at James， and then she looked at Mr Nowell．'She cursed a child once， and the child died later that year．'
'And you！'James said．'You cursed a child， too！Somebody told me！'James suddenly sat down on the floor and began to laugh loudly．
'Be quiet！'Roger Nowell said coldly．'Alizon Device，tell me the truth：did you curse a child？'
'Yes， I did，'Alizon cried．'The child called me a witch， and I was angry． I cursed the child，but I was sorry when the child died．'
James looked up at Alizon， his mouth open．'The child died，the child died，'he said again and again．
'Alizon Device，you cannot go home again，'Roger Nowell said slowly．'You must go to the prison at Read．'
'But I need Alizon！'my mother shouted angrily from the door．'She takes care of Old Demdike，my mother．'
I looked at my mother， at her red， angry face． I looked at Al-izon in her dirty dress， and at James on the floor with his mouth open．And then I looked at Mr Nowell：his brown eyes were warm， and his face was kind．
On the second day of April， Roger Nowell and his men came to Ashlar House， near the village of Fence． Mr Nowell wanted to talk to my grandmother， and we all went with her to Ashlar House． Fence was not far from Malkin Tower， and my grand-mother walked there easily．
Old Demdike was a little old woman with a fat face and no teeth．She was nearly eighty years old and she was a difficult old woman．Without Alizon，she was more difficult because my mother didn' t take care of her．
When I saw Mr Nowell again at Ashlar House， I felt happy．I looked at his kind face and his warm brown eyes， and I want-ed to be near him． But there were a lot of people in the room，and I was afraid to go to him．
'Old Demdike ， I'm going to ask you some questions， 'Mr Nowell began．
Old Demdike was not afraid． She looked at all the men， in their expensive coats and hats． 'What can a poor old woman tell you rich men？'She laughed， and when she laughed I felt afraid．My grandmother was going to tell them everything！
And she did！
'Twenty years ago，I met the Devil，'Old Demdike said．'He was a boy called Tibb and he was my friend．Then a cat came to visit me—a beautiful cat—and then a dog．They were all my friends．'
'Come in，'Mr Nowell said．He was a tall man with a lot of white hair．His black coat looked warm and expensive．
Alizon followed Mr Nowell into a room with a big fire．When I saw the fire， I wanted to go in，too！
'Are you cold，little one？'Mr Nowell asked me．'Come in，and sit near the fire．'
I went across the room and sat down on the floor， next to the wonderful， hot fire．
Mr Nowell sat behind a big fable． Two or three men， in black coats， stood near the window． Alizon stood in front of Mr Nowell． Her long hair was dirty， and her old dress looked dirti-er．
'Two weeks ago，on the eighteenth day of March， you met John Law near Colne，'Roger Nowell said．His voice was slow and careful．'Tell me about it．'
'I asked for money，'Alizon said．'The pedlar was very an－gry and I didn' t like him． I was angry， too， and I wanted him to die！'
' Tell me about your dog．'
“The dog is my friend．'Alizon said slowly．'I wanted a friend， and I found that dog two months ago． I told my grand－mother， and she liked the dog， too．'
'Did the dog run after the pedlar？'
'Yes， of course． I cursed the pedlar， and the dog ran after him！'Alizon said．' I'm sorry now， because Mr Law is ill．'
'She's a witch！'one of the men said quietly．
Roger Nowell stood up and walked across the room to the door．'James Device， come in． We want to question you．'
James came in and stood next to Alizon．James was thirteen years old， nearly a man， but he was afraid of many things． He began to cry．
'Don't be afraid，'Mr Nowell said．'we want you to talk abut your grandmother，Old Demdike．'
But Alizon wanted to talk．'Don' t ask him！' she said quick-ly．'I can tell you about my grandmother because I'm with her every minute of the day． I go with her from village to village． I go with her across Pendle Hill．She asks people for money and food， and I help her．'Alizon stopped．She looked at James， and then she looked at Mr Nowell．'She cursed a child once， and the child died later that year．'
'And you！'James said．'You cursed a child， too！Somebody told me！'James suddenly sat down on the floor and began to laugh loudly．
'Be quiet！'Roger Nowell said coldly．'Alizon Device，tell me the truth：did you curse a child？'
'Yes， I did，'Alizon cried．'The child called me a witch， and I was angry． I cursed the child，but I was sorry when the child died．'
James looked up at Alizon， his mouth open．'The child died，the child died，'he said again and again．
'Alizon Device，you cannot go home again，'Roger Nowell said slowly．'You must go to the prison at Read．'
'But I need Alizon！'my mother shouted angrily from the door．'She takes care of Old Demdike，my mother．'
I looked at my mother， at her red， angry face． I looked at Al-izon in her dirty dress， and at James on the floor with his mouth open．And then I looked at Mr Nowell：his brown eyes were warm， and his face was kind．
On the second day of April， Roger Nowell and his men came to Ashlar House， near the village of Fence． Mr Nowell wanted to talk to my grandmother， and we all went with her to Ashlar House． Fence was not far from Malkin Tower， and my grand-mother walked there easily．
Old Demdike was a little old woman with a fat face and no teeth．She was nearly eighty years old and she was a difficult old woman．Without Alizon，she was more difficult because my mother didn' t take care of her．
When I saw Mr Nowell again at Ashlar House， I felt happy．I looked at his kind face and his warm brown eyes， and I want-ed to be near him． But there were a lot of people in the room，and I was afraid to go to him．
'Old Demdike ， I'm going to ask you some questions， 'Mr Nowell began．
Old Demdike was not afraid． She looked at all the men， in their expensive coats and hats． 'What can a poor old woman tell you rich men？'She laughed， and when she laughed I felt afraid．My grandmother was going to tell them everything！
And she did！
'Twenty years ago，I met the Devil，'Old Demdike said．'He was a boy called Tibb and he was my friend．Then a cat came to visit me—a beautiful cat—and then a dog．They were all my friends．'