In the crucible, the court realized that what they were doing was a mistake. They were condemning innocent people to death based on lies told by the girls. Paris brought news that Abigail was gone and that she stole some of his money. These issues rested heavily on those who were falsely accusing the people of witchcraft. However, Mr. Danforth sought to protect the court's reputation and so could not free the innocent people in spite of knowing the truth. They summoned Elizabeth to convince her husband, John, to confess to witchcraft. When the couple met, John found out some of the people had already confessed. However, some of his friends refused to comply.