Formerly she was
visited by multitudes of people suffering from every sort of
ill--especially girls. More than once she has paid dearly for her
quackery, for the county authorities apprehended her for poisoning, and
clapped her into jail for some years. Since then she has grown more
cautious and does not care about seeing everyone in her lonely little
forest hut, especially since I impressed upon her severely what a heavy
load she was burdening her conscience with by turning the secret healing
forces which Nature had implanted in the herbs of the field, to the
destruction of ignorant humanity. Yesterday, then, this woman came to
me (and it is a very rare thing to see her among men) and informed me
that last night Fatia Negra had visited her."
Henrietta shuddered all over. So he was as near as that!
"The medicine-woman said that the mask requested her to prepare poison
for him that would be sure to kill. She said she would not as she had no
wish to fall again into the hands of the county authorities. He promised
her money, he showed her a lot of ducats. She told him it wouldn't do.
Then he drew forth a pistol, pressed the barrel to her temples, and
threatened instantly to blow her brains out if she did not comply with
his request. 'Very well,' said she, 'fire away: I would rather be shot
than hanged.' Perceiving he could do nothing with her by threats, he
fell to entreating, and said it was not a man he wanted to poison but a
wild beast.
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