Читать книгу The Maidens of Walsingham - Анна Морион - Страница 11

June passed at Walsingham just as it passed every year: inconspicuous, routine, full of anxiety and work in the fields. During the summer, all the adult peasants of the village worked together to cultivate the large field where the potatoes grew. The work in the field was hard: day after day it was necessary to check every leaf, every stem and the ground around to find and eradicate the voracious beetle. This summer it was even more difficult to get rid of the pest, for the beetles were so numerous, as if God had punished the poor Walsinghamites for some great sin. But in spite of their work in the fields, the peasants attended all the matins, vespers and Sunday services in the church. Pastor Glowford himself continued to work on the restoration of the church, and his daughters, with the exception of Cassie, worked in the fields: as Cassie was of little use, the peasants unanimously relieved her of this duty, but sometimes the girl would come and put beetles on sharp sticks for amusement. Mostly, however, Cassie spent her days running around with the village children in the summer fields and woods.

Christine came home exhausted from her hard physical labour and went straight to bed after supper. Catherine, on the other hand, did not seem to be tired at all: she remained full of vigour and activity, and would not go to bed until all the housework was done and breakfast for tomorrow morning was prepared. Almost every evening, when twilight fell, Kate took Cassie, and the sisters went to the river to wash their dresses: Kate concentrated on washing clothes, while Cassie ran excitedly over the stones and wet her feet in the water. Having got rid of the pressing household chores and finally getting to bed, the next day Catherine would get up early in the morning to wake her father and sisters, feed them, dress Cassie and go with Christine to the field.

The Glowford sisters were careful to keep their bodies clean and washed their hair every other day: usually at noon or in the evening when the girls came home for meals. The girls also took good care of their teeth, and every morning and before going to bed, they rinsed their teeth with chamomile infusion. In summer the Glowfords bathed in the river like all the peasants.

Cassie often thought of Mr. Morris, who had entertained her a month before, and sometimes asked her father and Catherine if the "good doctor" was coming, but they could not tell her, for they did not know the answer.

Pastor Glowford was distressed that the restoration of the church had been delayed so long, and he could see Mr. Pilough's irritation at being stuck in this "hole," as he called Walsingham, for two months, so he tried not to cross him.

Sundays were the only Sundays off from work in the fields and church, but despite the fatigue, everyone, including the children, came to the service. The pastor himself was as tired as the others, but he did not show it, so that he could encourage the spirit and faith of his parishioners by his own example.

Christine was desperate to see Lord Draymore and had not yet spoken to her father about her desire to move to London, for she had no money, and her soul was in deep distress.

The weather had been hot since the beginning of July, and the peasants had to water their gardens every day by travelling to the river and carrying heavy buckets of water. At the Glowfords', the parson, Kate and Chris took turns fetching water when they came home for lunch. Cassie, on the other hand, was exempt from this duty and spent all day out of the house, arriving at her squalid dwelling late at night. Since the apple trees of the local peasants had been ripped off, the children and Cassie plundered the orchard at Rivershold, where the apple trees were tall, lush, and full of beautiful, tasty apples (but this was kept a closely guarded secret between the children and Cassie, for it was punishable by a big smack from the parents and a lecture from the parson). But the children did not regard their actions as stealing or any other offence, for to tear apples was a common thing for them, and Cassie, who was not so clever as they were, thought the same.

In the middle of the month the work in the fields and in the church was suspended for the christening of a newly born child at Walsingham, but then the hard work began again. They had had some rest in body and mind over the weekend of the christening and were now eager to get on with their work, singing hymns in the field, chatting, gossiping and making plans for the betrothal of Christine Glowford and John Tiley. There was even a rumour in the village that the girl had at first "backed out» but had agreed to marry John. Christine herself, who knew that it was a pure lie, did not talk to anyone, did not socialise, was sullen and forced her father to officially announce at one of the evenings that these rumours are not justified, but bored poor people did not calm down and judged that the maidens Glowford overstayed in maidens: okay, say, Catherine did not go to marry for a good reason, but Christine what she is waiting for!

Kate saw how these nasty gossips affected her sister's mood and tried to cheer her up. Now, when she saw Christine crouched near her place of work, crying with resentment because her neighbours in the field didn't bother to whisper gossip and did it in full voice, Kate went over to her and stroked her back.

– Don't be sad, Chris: the Lord's judgement will come upon those gossipers, and then they will be sorry for speaking their tongues," she said affectionately to Christine.

– Yes, but when will that be? When it happens, I won't care about all this gossip, because I'll be in heaven too! – Chris exclaimed hotly, and tears of resentment sprang from her eyes. – How dare they say such nasty things, as if I were going to marry that redneck! If I don't, then I'm not good and proud!

– Everyone knows that John is in love with you, that's why the rumours are going round. But, dear, don't be so sad: John will soon marry someone else, and everyone will realise how cruel they were in discussing you," Catherine told her. – God sees their hearts and will soon punish them for their gossip, contrary to the Scriptures, and gossip is displeasing to God…

– Pastor! Pastor! – suddenly the sisters heard a loud male shout.

All the peasants looked up to see Neil Worley, who was working on the restoration of the church, running towards them. The lad was running towards the crowd, and his hurried running foretold that he was carrying important news.

"'Has Neil needed our father? But why is he looking for him here when Dad works alongside him at the church?" – Catherine wondered.

Christine, on the other hand, frowned and looked anxiously at Neil.

The peasants huddled together, waiting impatiently for the lad to reach them.

– Pastor! Pastor! – Neil shouted again, running up to them.

– What do you want the parson for? What would he be doing here? – someone laughed.

The others picked up the laughter.

– Pastor Glowford! Oh, Kate, Chris, you're here! – Neil ran up to the girls and grabbed his sides: he had been running for a long time and now he was panting.

– What's wrong, Neil? Father is not here, he is in the church, – said to him surprised Catherine.

The lad caught his breath a little, someone brought him a jug of water, he hurriedly took a couple of sips and stared at the Glowford sisters with a mournful expression.

– Trouble! Misfortune! Pastor! A stone slab has fallen on him and…" he began, but Catherine stopped him.

– Wait, Neil, your words are so unreasonable! What's wrong with father? – She exclaimed anxiously: her heart told her that something was wrong.

Christine looked confusedly at her sister: she too felt a great anxiety.

– I say, we were working, putting up a stone slab to replace the old broken one, but it fell off and straight on the parson's head! – Neil shrieked, rounding his eyes: he was frightened and disturbed by the tragedy he had seen.

– What? God, Father! – Kate grabbed Christine's palm and squeezed it hard.

The girls and Neil were surrounded by the rest of the now frightened peasants: "God, what a disaster!", "Poor parson!", "How is he? Is he alive?" "No, he's dead." "Oh, how awful, how horrible."

– Kate, I'm sorry… He's dead," said Neil quietly, not daring to look into Catherine's eyes.

The peasants immediately broke into loud weeping and cries of regret.

– It can't be! – Catherine exclaimed, not believing Neil's words.

And without unclenching her hands, she and Chris, breaking their heads, rushed to the church. The crowd of peasants rushed after them.

Halfway there, Catherine let go of Chris's hand and overtook her to run to the church first, so that when she reached the church, she saw her sister kneeling by the bloody body of their father. Catherine was hugging his neck and sobbing loudly.

– Daddy! Daddy! You can't leave us! You can't leave us! – Kate sobbed.

Christine knelt beside her father, took his still warm hands in her palms and squeezed them tightly. Tears streamed from the girl's eyes, but she was speechless.

Pastor Glowford was dead: a heavy slab, which had fallen from quite a height, had smashed his head and fractured his skull, and he died an instant death.

The church workers, the peasants, and Mr. Pilough, who was present, were horrified: the Walsingham people wept for the loss of their beloved good pastor, and also for the pity of his poor daughters, who were left orphans. Mr. Pilough, too, was shaken by the tragedy, and in his thoughts berated himself for his negligence in failing to see for himself whether the accursed slab was well fixed. He thought that he was to blame for the parson's death, but further investigation showed that it was not the architect's fault: it was the old, flimsy façade of the building that had collapsed under the new stone slab, which was too heavy for it.

Everyone was sobbing. Christine and Catherine sat next to their dead father, hugging him and crying loudly too.

The death of Pastor Glowford was a great tragedy for Walsingham: the peasants could not even think about how they could live without their mentor, who always came to their aid in life situations and matters of faith. But now Reverend Glowford was gone.

Suddenly Catherine stopped crying, got up from her knees and turned towards the people. The girl's face was wet with tears, but very serious.

– 'Don't tell Cassie about this. No one, do you hear me? – she said loudly, and for a few minutes the general crying stopped.

– But she must know! – said someone in the crowd.

– No! Cassie's sick, and if she finds out her father's gone, she'll go mad! Is that what you want? – Kate said seriously. – Don't say a word to her! And if she asks where he is, tell her he's gone, but he'll be back soon. Do you hear? For God's sake, people, please!

– All right! We won't tell her! "She mustn't know," agreed the kind-hearted peasants, who were full of pity for the Glowford sisters.

Catherine sat down in her former place, took her dead father's hand in her own, and then said quietly to her sister:

– 'It concerns you too, Chris. Father wouldn't want Cassie to suffer.

Christine looked up at her with a look of understanding and pain.

– 'Yes, Cassie mustn't know,' she replied quietly to her sister.

– What are we going to do now? Lord, what are we to do? Oh, what grief! – The peasants cried out, and the wailing began again.

– We must bury him as a good Christian," said Catherine, turning again to the crowd. – And a new pastor must be sent for at once!

– Where? Where will we find him? – replied the peasants, who did not understand how to make sense of this terrible turn of events.

– I will take care of it," said Mr. Pilough loudly, touched by the scene. – I will write to London at once, and a new parson will be sent to you, while you make the funeral arrangements.

Without further ado the architect mounted his horse and rode off to the manor.

The parson's body was carefully carried to the church, where it was washed, changed into the parson's attire, in which he had conducted the services, then the local undertaker took his measurements and began to build the coffin. The peasants went home weeping and praying for the soul of the pastor who had left them. Those peasants who were not in the field soon learnt of his death. The children, however, were told the same thing as Cassie. Cassie herself, who returned home in the evening, contented and cheerful, quickly ate the supper Kate had prepared and, tired, went to bed.

The older sisters sat for a long time in their father's room, on his mattress, holding hands: Kate looked at the crucifix with a fanatical gleam in her eyes, and Chris stared thoughtfully at one point on the wall. Both girls clearly realised that from that day on they were completely alone, and that now they had no one but their sisters. But still, they did not fully believe in their father's death, as if it were some bad dream, and their father would come home any minute and embrace them. Then Christine did go to bed, but could not sleep until the morning, hearing Catherine praying in a loud whisper in her father's room.

"God help us!" – Christine thought, and wept bitterly, trying not to let her cries be heard by her sisters. In the morning the girl cautiously approached Kate, who was still sitting by the crucifix praying.

– Catherine, go get some sleep, and I'll make breakfast and feed Cassie," she said affectionately to her sister, touching her shoulder.

– No, Chris, thank you. I'm not tired at all," Catherine replied muffled. – I'll do all the cooking myself, and you'd better go and get some water for the vegetable garden. We're not going into the field today. When Cassie wakes up, tell her her father's gone.

– Whatever you say," Christine replied briefly.

She dressed, put on her shoes, took the bucket and went to the river. Christine realised clearly the weight that had fallen on Catherine's shoulders – the loss of her father was a burden more for her than for Christine herself, and even more so for Cassie.

"Poor Catherine, she is so lost! I must help her. I must go to town and get a job!" – Christine thought, slowly heading towards the river: she was overwhelmed with the desire to help Catherine, to support her, not only morally, but also with money.

Catherine sat at the crucifix and thought about that from now on her sisters' welfare depended only on her – she was the head of the family, and the responsibility for her sisters and their lives rested solely on her.

"I'll do anything to keep them from suffering, just give me strength, Lord!" – she thought, and then rose and, with a heavy heart, went to prepare breakfast. Looking at the sleeping Cassie, Kate smiled softly. – 'My sweet girl, I will never leave you. No one and nothing will separate us!" – Kate thought determinedly and stroked Cassie's hair.

When Cassie woke up, Christine was already back from the river and breakfast was ready.

– Wash your face, and sit down to eat," Kate said to her younger sister, as she poured the porridge into bowls: the portions were larger than usual, for Kate had used the same measure of grain she had used earlier, which was for four people.

Cassie washed and dressed, sat down at the table and began to eat.

– Where's Daddy? – she asked, only now noticing that they were eating breakfast without her father.

The older sisters looked at each other.

– Father said he wouldn't have breakfast," Kate answered her, trying to be as convincing as possible.

– Why? Had he already eaten? – Cassie asked innocently, dipping her wooden spoon into the porridge.

– Yes, he ate early," Christine said, agreeing with Cassie's levity.

– Where is he? – Cassie asked again.

– He has important things to do. You remember he's very concerned about the church and the village, don't you? – Catherine answered her. – He must have gone to that beautiful Rivershold estate.

She and Cassie had seen that estate and the master's house once, but the girls had not been impressed: Catherine because of her aversion to luxury, and Cassie declared that it was a palace haunted by ghosts and an evil giant (so the boys had told her), but she was not afraid of ripping off his apple trees.

– Would he be back soon?

– Yes, of course.

– Are we going to matins?

– No, for Dad had gone, and there was no one to give it today.

Cassie looked at Catherine indifferently: she was not at all worried about her father, for she knew he would always come home.

"And maybe he'll bring something delicious! That good funny doctor always brought something delicious!" – Cassie thought happily, looking forward to her father coming home.

– And we caught a bunny yesterday: he was so cute and shook so much, but we petted him and let him out into the field. Fred said he was scared and that we were scaring him, so he ran away so fast! – Cassie said, and then went back to eating. – What delicious porridge today, Katie!

Catherine smiled, but a heavy sigh escaped from her breast: she found it hard to bear the indifference and inconsideration with which her little sister lived, and it seemed to her that she bore the pain of loss not only for herself, but also for Cassie.

– What colour was the bunny? – Christine asked, seeing Catherine's confusion.

– He was so dark, and his ears were really funny and long," Cassie said. – And the boys made up a song! Here it is: "The bunny raced across the field, the bunny ran home, and then the dog ran after him, a mean dog, a biter, and then… Oh, I forgot. – She was embarrassed and stopped talking.

Catherine stroked her head.

– And I tore my dress yesterday," she giggled.

– Again? – Christine asked unhappily, but she couldn't really be angry with her sister.

– It was an accident. Just don't tell Daddy, or he'll be upset," Cassie asked with a sweet, childish expression, not wanting to upset her father.

Christine and Catherine immediately felt tears gathering in their chests.

– He won't scold, Cassie, but we won't tell him anything if you want," Christine replied quietly.

Catherine couldn't hold back the tears that came to her eyes and threatened to flow in front of Cassie, so she got up from the table and went to the door.

– Where are you going? – Christine asked her, afraid to be alone with her younger sister, because she didn't know how to behave or what to say.

– I'm going to get some water! – Kate replied and hurried out of the house.

Christine realised she had lied but said nothing.

– Eat, Cassie, and then you can go out," she said.

Cassie brightened and eagerly began to eat her porridge.