Thus, said Mrs. _Dorothy_, did the old Hagg give me an account of her mischievous beginning; and indeed, in the prosecution of her story, she acquainted me with so many horrible actions, that I was agast; and wondered that the Earth did not open, to swallow up a wretch so monstrously wicked; but I think, said she, by what I have said, I have told you enough to know her, and therefore shall pass over the rest of her actions in silence: nay, said I, Mrs. _Dorothy_, since you have begun to give us so fair an account of the foul actions of this your wicked acquaintance, I shall desire you to take the pains to proceed therein. Truly, said Mrs. _Mary_, although I have known many wretched People in my dayes, yet I never heard of the like; and I suppose by what you have already recounted, that all you have further to say will be both remarkable, admirable, and pleasant (if we may account that pleasant which is so mischievously, and wickedly witty;) and therefore I, as well as our friend here, desire you to continue your relation; and if you will take the pains, we will have the patience to hear you to the least particular. Mrs. _Dorothy_ being thus requested by us both, replyed, that she should be content to grant our desires, but then we must have a great deal of patience, and pardon those impertinent ignorances that she should be forced to recount, in relating so many notable and various adventurous actions of another: We told her, we should willingly attend, and excuse her in all; and thereupon she thus continued.
Although (said this old Trot) my Husband, and my black friend had quickly dispatch’t their business, by thus dispatching one another, yet they were neither so sudden nor so silent, but I both heard and saw them tilt at one another with their swords, which were bathed in each others heart blood; and so they fell, grinning at each other with horrible Countenances and they lay so close together, that they could catch hold of one another, and fight with their hands, their swords being sheathed in one anothers bodies; but this contest could not, neither did it last long, their hearts being suffocated with Blood, and so in short time they both expired; which I discovered by the noise of hollow groans: and thus continued she, was I deprived of a Friend, and a Husband. I was startled at the present, but considering what was to be done, went to bed, and lay there till some of the house came and bounc’d at my Chamber door; I suffered them to continue knocking for some time, as if I had been asleep; but they growing more furious by reason of my silence, were ready to break open the door, when I jumped out of my bed, and in my smock opening the door, asked them what was the cause of their violent knocking; they replyed, they were glad to see me alive, which they much doubted, by reason of my silence, and having seen such a doleful sight as was then in the Garden: I seeming ignorant of all, desired them to explain themselves, and acquaint me with their meaning; they were not long then ere they had told me, that my Husband and the Black-more who quartered at my Fathers, were both dead in the Garden: I was amazed, ran then to the window, and there beheld what I too well knew already; and then cryed out, and in lamentable and furious manner threw my self on the floor, tearing my hair, and making great lamentation; by this time the Constable and other Neighbors were come, but could not get any thing out of me to discover any knowledge of the fact. I seemed a stranger to all; and so the Bodies being removed, word was sent to my Father and Mother, who quickly came thither; but finding me, as the rest, to pretend ignorance, nothing could be done; but the People conjectured variously, and though they could not accuse me as the murtherer, yet I was shrewdly suspected to be the cause; they judging the truth as it was: but however, I was without the compass of the law, and therefore escaped all trouble.