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In Act I of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, what state of mind is Parris in when we first meet him?

At the beginning of Act I, Reverend Parris is feeling pretty nervous.  The night prior, he found his daughter and niece dancing in the woods with his Barbadian slave, Tituba, who was chanting and swaying over a fire, and now his daughter, Betty, is ill.  There are rumors all through the town that her illness is due to witchcraft, especially because many people have heard that Betty flew.  Reverend Parris fears that if his niece and daughter "trafficked with spirits in the forest [...] [his] enemies will [know it], and they will ruin [him] with it."  He worries that he could lose both his position and his daughter.  


Parris's anxiety is also heightened by village rumors that Abigail is "soiled."  When the Putnams, a powerful Salem family, arrive with news of their daughter's similar illness and their suspicion that witchcraft is involved, Parris pleads, "We cannot leap to witchcraft.  They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house."  Therefore, it seems as though he is most worried about losing his place, his status, and his home.  He is quick to try to assure everyone that there are no witches in the community and that he has only called Reverend Hale from Beverly to investigate as a precaution.

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