CHAPTER XXVII.
The Dissimulation of Master Raymond.
About this time the gossips of Salem village began to remark upon the attentions that were being paid by the wealthy young Englishman, Master Ellis Raymond, to various members of the "afflicted circle." He petted those bright and terribly precocious children of twelve, Ann Putnam and Abigail Williams; he almost courted the older girls, Mary Walcot, Mercy Lewis and Leah Herrick and had a kindly word for Mary Warren, Sarah Churchill and others, whenever he saw them.

As for Mistress Ann Putnam, the mother, he always had been very respectful to her.

While in Boston he had purchased quite an assortment of those little articles which the Puritan elders usually denominated "gew-gaws" and "vain adornments" and it was observed that Abigail Williams especially had been given a number of these, while the other girls had one or more of them, which they were very careful in not displaying except at those times when no grave elder or deacon was present to be shocked by them.
I will acknowledge that there was some dissimulation in this conduct of Master Raymond's, and Joseph Putnam by no means approved of it.
"How you can go smiling around that den of big and little she-wolves, patting the head of one, and playing with the paw of another, I cannot understand, friend Raymond.

I would not do it to save my life." "Nor I," answered Master Raymond gravely.

"But I would do it to save your life, friend Joseph, or that of your sweet young wife there--or that of the baby which she holds upon her knee." "Or that of Mistress Dulcibel Burton!" added sweet Mistress Putnam kindly.
"Yes, or that of Dulcibel Burton." "You know, my dear friends, the plan I have in view may fail.