e and repentant. She confesses that they danced, and she's willing to be whipped for it, even if they did it just for "sport." But Parris, in his anxiety about his own reputation, insinuates that Abigail's name is not "entirely white" in the town. Goodwife Proctor, it is said, "comes so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled," meaning Abigail, who used to work as the Proctors' servant.Abigail tells us a lot: instead of answering the accusation, she attacks the accuser. She says Goody Proctor hates her because Abigail would not be her slave; twice she calls Goody Proctor a liar. (Elizabeth Proctor's truthfulness will be very important later.) Abigail then turns her wrath on Parris: "Do you begrudge my bed, uncle?" (Later on, in Act II, Abigail will once again be accused of wrongdoing, and she will get out of it in exactly the same way.)^^^^^^^^^^THE CRUCIBLE: ACT I, SCENE 2Parris has no chance to recover from this onslaught, for now the Putnams, Ann and then Thomas, come in, full of news. Their daughter Ruth has been stricken as well, and they are certain it's from "the Devil's touch." Parris' manner changes abruptly: with Tituba and Abigail he was sharp and angry, but now he seems most anxious to please. The Putnams must be important people, and we soon find out why. When Parris pleads with them, "leap not to witchcraft.... They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house," Thomas Putnam replies, "Mr. Parris, I have taken your part in all contention here, and I would continue." Putnam is the minister's ally, and as such has power over him. Putnam will use his power to get his way in this matter, as we shall see.Goody Putnam then explains how she knows this is witchcraft. Last night she sent Ruth to Tituba to contact the spirits of Ruth's seven baby brothers and sisters, all of whom had died--"murdered," according to their mother--before they were a day old."It is a formidable sin t...
