Final answer:
One can infer that something is bothering Parris due to the occult-related fits of his daughter and niece, and the pressure on him as a minister and guardian in a Puritan society that associated such events with the devil's influence.
Step-by-step explanation:
One might conclude that something is bothering Parris due to his household's involvement with occult practices and the resultant stress it caused. What behavior allows for such a conclusion is Parris' anxiety over his daughter and niece's afflictions and their confessions, which sparked the Salem witch trials.
In Salem Village during 1692, several girls, including Samuel Parris's daughter and niece, experienced fits that were seen as being "beyond the power of natural disease to effect." The societal context was apt for hysteria, with the rigid Puritan belief system perceiving the devil's work in misdoings.
In the context of such fervent and overwhelming fear of witchcraft and the devil's influence, the behavior of Parris, as the girls' guardian and a minister, was scrutinized. His likely anxiety and fear for his family, and possibly for his social standing, might reveal a man under considerable duress. Parris's behavior would have been altered by the heavy responsibility of addressing the suspicions cast on his own household, compounded by the strict moral and religious expectations of his community. It's conceivable that this added pressure would lead to distress signals in his demeanor, making it evident to others that something was indeed troubling him deeply.