Chapter 19: Altha

Summary

• ALTHA feels exposed in a courtroom despite being dressed, as men gaze at her hungrily, while a sympathetic onlooker averts his eyes.
• Unable to bear the sight of the onlookers, she draws comfort in a spider, an unintentional companion from the dungeons.
• ALTHA scratched off her birthmark, fearing its association with witchcraft, especially after its examination by Dr. Smythson.
• The birthmark, referred to as a witch’s or devil’s mark, was identical to her mother's, adding to the superstitions around her familial resemblance.
• ALTHA reflects on her mother's appearance, their similarities, and how her mother might perceive the current situation if she were alive.
• She muses over the men in the courtroom, questioning their understanding of souls and morality amidst their eagerness to condemn her.
• ALTHA claims firsthand experience with the devil and insists that Grace, another key individual, shares her awareness of these supernatural encounters.
• In the dungeons, ALTHA’s dreams oscillate between images of the devil, Grace, and memories of her deceased mother.
• As the trial disrupts ALTHA's mundane life routines, it triggers an evaluation of her past, especially the significance of her daily activities before the trial.
• Daniel Kirkby, a witness and someone whose birth ALTHA and her mother had assisted, nervously testifies about his work at the Milburn farm and the events of New Year's Day.
• Daniel recounts how the normally calm cows became frenzied, injuring John Milburn amidst the chaos, leading the courtroom to gasp at the suggestion of bewitchment.
• The prosecutor expresses orchestrated gratitude for Daniel's testimony, eliciting a feeling of dread about the implications for ALTHA.
• Daniel observes ALTHA’s arrival on the scene post-incident, her respectful covering of John's body, and her instructing him to fetch Dr. Smythson.
• He also shares his unease before the incident, feeling watched, and the prosecutor pounces on this detail to suggest a witch’s presence.