Читать книгу The Maidens of Walsingham - Анна Морион - Страница 13

Walsingham was preparing for the funeral of Pastor Glowford.

The church had been empty for the third day: no work was being done in it, no divine services were being held, but only a light oak coffin stood, in which lay the body of the dead parson, clothed in his best ecclesiastical robes. While the villagers came tearfully to bid farewell to their beloved parson, his daughter Cassie was running free, cheerful and unsuspecting of her father's death: at Catherine Glowford's request, the Walsingham people kept silent about the tragedy and concealed it from Cassie. The cold air circulated inside the church, but outside it was hot July, and the smell of corpse decomposition filled the vaults of the building. But this did not dampen Catherine's spirit; she sat by her father's coffin all day reading the Scriptures aloud. Christine was confused by her older sister's behaviour, though she was no less upset. Christine would come to church and exhort Kate to go home, eat, sleep and rest, but she steadfastly refused to rest and would come home only to show herself to Cassie and feed her, then leave for church again. A little worried about her father's long absence, Cassie often asked her sisters, "Where is Daddy?" but they reassured her with the answer, "He'll be back soon, honey. It's a long way home."

Apart from the sadness of losing their beloved pastor, the Walsingham people were worried about who would now replace him, and on the third day after Mr. Glowford's death, a new pastor finally arrived in the village, and the excited villagers purposely went straight to the road to greet him.

The new pastor of Walsingham, appointed by the Church of England, was a young man: he was tall, thin, red-haired, and his oblong, pale face was studded with large freckles, which gave him a somewhat mysterious appearance (the unmarried women of the village immediately set their eyes on him). Mr. Litley (that was the name of the new parson) was embarrassed by this warm welcome, but Catherine, who had left her dead father's body for a couple of hours, immediately told him that the funeral should be held today. Mr. Litley was tired from the long journey, but could not refuse Miss Glowford's insistence. Pastor Glowford was buried the same evening. Cassie did not attend the funeral: she and the children were playing on the river during the funeral.

The funeral was modest. The parson was buried next to the grave of his late wife Emma. Throughout the ceremony, the peasants wept and sobbed loudly, while Catherine and Christine, holding hands and with tears in their eyes, watched the earth swallow up their beloved father. The new pastor wistfully recited scripture and prayers, but did the proper job. It wasn't until after the funeral that Mr. Litley was taken to his new home which was the home of Fred the butcher who had died of frostbite that winter.

Mr. Litley was unpleasantly shocked at the "godforsaken hole" into which the Church had sent him, but seeing the respect and reverence in which his new parish regarded him, and feeling his power over these religious foolish peasants, he suppressed his resentment and disgust, and decided to accept his fate. Besides, he could not help noticing how many beautiful girls there were in the village. Miss Catherine Glowford especially caught his eye: she attracted him by her mournful beauty and the humility with which she had borne her father's death. The parson looked round his new home, the peasants helped him to unload the cart with his belongings, though they were few in number, and all went home.

The doors and windows of the church were left open all night to let the dead pastor's cadaverous odour fade away.

Kate and Christine returned from the funeral to their shabby home, ate dinner in silence, then Catherine opened the Scriptures to comfort their souls. When darkness fell, Cassie came running home, tired from the long day, the heat and running through the fields, so, without supper, she collapsed on her bollard, asked: "Isn't Daddy back yet?" and immediately fell into a deep, childlike sleep.

Christine went to bed after Cassie. Catherine read the Scriptures for a short time, then gathered up her clothes and her father's belongings to distribute to the men of the village before reaching the bed. The elder Glowford was very weary both in mind and body, but from tomorrow the work in the fields would resume, for prolonged mourning was too great a luxury for the Walsingham people.

The peasants received the long-awaited matins the very next morning, and gladdened their hearts with it. The Glowford sisters also came, and Cassie was very much embarrassed to see that it was not her father who conducted the matins, but a complete stranger, a complete stranger, "a strange, scrawny man," as she told her sisters. Asking her sisters why this was so, Cassie was told that Pastor Litley was merely filling in for their father until he returned from his journey, and these words reassured the worried girl.

She looked pleadingly at Mr. Litley, and he could not resist the beautiful gaze of her brown eyes.

– Of course, Miss Glowford, as you say," he replied. – I shall remain silent until you yourself have told your sister of your terrible loss.

– Thank you, reverend, you are so kind! – Catherine smiled. – What do you think of our church?

– The church is beautiful, but I'm not sure what's going on in it. I think it's being repaired? – The pastor was flattered that Catherine was interested in his opinion.

– The matter is that our landlord is restoring it, and that's where my poor father died: a slab fell on him… I know he's in heaven now, at the foot of God's throne, and I find peace in that. But we have decided that you, Mr. Litley, will not assist on the construction, for your own safety.