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she resolved to give him a home Charge upon the Subject, and threaten to bring him upon the publick Stage for Inchantment and Sorcery.
But he put a better Invention into her Head; for unwarily he threw it out, that he heard her talk in her Sleep, and that he ask'd her such and such Questions, by whispering in her Ear, and that she answered so and so.
It immediately occurred to her, that if this was all he had for it, he was but one Affirmative, and no Witness in his own Case, and that her Negative might go as far as his Affirmative; that she had no more to do but to deny the Fact; that as to the Story of whispering Questions, and her answering them, the Pretence was a Novelty; and so strange, that tho' it might be true, no Body would believe it, especially if she firmly denied it.
Upon this she began with him; told him, she had perceived a good while his jealous and uneasy Humour, and that he had laid a great many Plots and Designs to attack her Reputation, and all to find an Excuse to justify his ill Usage of her; but that her Conduct was such before the whole World, that no Body would believe him; and that now he had dress'd up a Story between the Devil and him, to fix something upon her, if possible; but that it was an evident Forgery of his own, with the help of his Witchcraft: And as the Story was it self improbable, and next to impossible, so she declared it was a Lie, and she defied the Devil and him, they might both do their worst.
She gave him this so Roundly, and with such Assurance, and told it also so publickly, (as he did his Story) that the Man began to find shehad
