Читать книгу The Maidens of Walsingham - Анна Морион - Страница 7

After vespers the pastor unveiled the forthcoming reconstruction of the church and called for volunteers, and the grateful parishioners responded eagerly, willing to help in any way they could, even women. Three lads and seven fairly young men volunteered for the work itself, including Christine's admirer, John Tiley, who secretly hoped that Pastor Glowford would protectorate him over Christine.

Christine waited for the right moment to tell her father of her intentions to go to London but decided that she would first save up the money for the journey, and then, using this as an argument, she would make her plans known to her father. To this purpose she had been wandering about Walsingham since morning to find some work, but she was greatly disappointed: the poor people of Walsingham had no money, and as payment for the girl's labour they offered food, coarse cloth, or old shoes. They had not a cent of money. In the evening Christine walked home frustrated, tired, and depressed at the thought that she would have to live her whole life in a remote village she hated. She cried all night and fell asleep only in the morning, and a couple of hours later she was awakened by Catherine for breakfast and matins. Christine reluctantly got up, washed her face, dressed, brushed her hair and sat down on the mattress beside Cassie.

– How are you, Cassie? – Christine asked her younger sister, hiding her beautiful dark hair under an old white bonnet.

– Good," Cassie said with a tired smile, glad that Christine had spoken to her, for the sick girl instinctively felt that her sister disliked her. – Had the birds arrived yet? – Cassie asked her.

She was tired of lying in bed, and Chris, for her part, was tired of carrying the night potty for her little sister, though Catherine rarely asked her to do so.

– Yes, they're here," Christine replied patiently.

Despite yesterday's unsuccessful search for a job, she was in a good, even mood.

– What kind?

– There are lots of them, big and small. And they all sing and chirp in different ways.

– How do they chirp?

– Well, each one in its own way.

– Chick-chick-chick-chick-chick?

– That, too. But soon you will hear them," said Christine, rising to her feet.

– Will you tell me a story? – Cassie asked her.

– No, Catherine doesn't like stories, you know that.

– And we won't tell her.

Christine smiled.

– "Come with me, Chris! – Catherine called as she entered the house, and then turned to her sick sister: – "And you lie down and don't get up.

– Okay," Cassie told her a little sadly.

The sisters headed for the church.

To the great surprise of the parishioners, Dr Morris attended the matins (the whole village knew that he was treating Cassie), but many wondered what he was doing here. Did he want to join their hymns and prayers? After all, there are only godless people in the cities!

But Mr. Morris was not embarrassed by the attention; he handed Pastor Glowford a letter from the Count, and sat down in one of the last pews.

– Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our landlord has given me a letter, and I am now going to read it to you, so listen carefully and keep quiet," the pastor announced loudly.

Only the pastor and his two eldest daughters could read fluently and expressively in the whole village, but the rest of the Walsingham, though they attended the pastor's courses regularly, could read only syllables.

– "Reverend Glowford, I thank you and your congregation and the warm welcome you have given me, but business in London does not permit me to linger here. I left Rivershold this morning for London…

"He's gone!" – Christine thought with annoyance and immediately fell into pieces.

– … but my attorneys will carry on all the work I have begun in Walsingham. Please do not be anxious about the restoration of your church, as an architect, Mr. Pilough, will be arriving in your village today to inspect the building and draw up a plan for its restoration. The building materials will be brought to you after Mr. Pilough has estimated the cost of the project and sent me a report. All expenses will be taken care of by me. Mr. Glowford, I leave you my postal address in London, and if you, or your parishioners, have any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact me without fear of disturbing or embarrassing me. God bless you."

– What an honourable man our new landlord is!" whispered Catherine in her sister's ear. – He won't even charge us!

"What should he charge us? There isn't a cent in Walsingham!" – She thought mockingly, having learnt by experience.

– It's a pity he's gone," Christine said aloud to her sister.

– God sent him to us," she whispered again, believing in her own words.

– Maybe," Chris said briefly.

The people of Walsingham were overjoyed; they, like Kate, saw God's goodness in all that had happened, and fervently raised hymns in praise of God's goodness, and then prayed for the health of the noble, merciful and virtuous landlord.

The Glowford sisters returned home, and the parson remained in the church, to give grammar lessons. When the girls entered the house, they were horrified to find Cassie gone: her bed was empty.

– Oh, God, where is she? – Kate was worried. – She hasn't recovered yet! And her dresses are all here… And her shoes! She left in her nightdress and bare feet!

The sisters rushed out to look for Cassie and asked every person they could find about her, but none of them had seen Cassie and they all wondered why she had left home.

– I should never have left her! There's a reason she's been so cheerful since this morning! She decided to go for a walk! – Catherine exclaimed, chastising herself. – God forbid she should catch another cold!

Kate and Christine ran round the village, but they couldn't find their little sister. Terrified that Cassie was in trouble, Catherine prayed loudly and fervently.

– Wait… She asked me about the birds coming! – Christine suddenly remembered. – She could have gone to the abandoned mill! There are always lots of birds there!

The sisters ran to the old mill. Cassie was really there: she sat on a pile of dirty hay and listened to the birds singing with a happy face. She was very cold: her bare feet were stiff and muddy. Catherine hastily wrapped Cassie in her woollen shawl, put her clogs on sister feet, and remained barefoot. When Kate scolded her affectionately, Cassie was embarrassed, but said that the birds had called her to see their nests and she could not refuse them.

– Don't ever do that again, Cassie! We were so worried about you! – Christine said reproachfully to her sister as they went home.

At home Cassie's feet were washed, she was laid on a mattress and wrapped in a woollen biting blanket.

– What about London? You haven't changed your mind? – Catherine asked Chris when they sat down to lunch.

Lunch was hot wheat porridge with a slice of black bread.

At her sister's mention of London, the image of the handsome Count of Draymore immediately flashed into Christine's mind, and she suddenly felt even more offended at how freely he could travel around England, while she, a poor peasant girl, had no money even to travel to London. But in spite of everything, and especially now that the Count had gone there, London attracted Christine even more: a tiny hope of meeting the landlord grew in her heart.

– No, I haven't changed my mind," Christine replied, as she ate the porridge that was the Glowford's daily diet and which she was already sick of.

– What about the money for the journey? – Kate asked, knowing full well that Christine would earn nothing in the village.

– Nothing yet, but I'll get the money, you'll see," she said, more determined than ever. – I'll leave here.

– Don't you think your futile endeavours are a sign from God that you must not leave Walsingham? – Catherine suggested.

– No, I don't. It is only you and father who see signs in everything. I don't think God dislikes us so much as to wish us into the poverty in which we already live.

Christine finished her porridge and went outside to wash her plate and spoon, and when she came back Catherine was already clearing the table.

– Sweep the floor," she said to Christine.

She clenched her teeth tightly: she didn't like to clean the house, and always did it by force, but Catherine looked at her sternly, the way she always did when Christine was stubborn, and that look made Christine go about her assigned chores. Christine sighed unhappily and began to sweep the floor, careful not to get any dirt on Cassie, who was lying on the mattress. Her soul was full of resentment at her older sister and the fact that she had never made Cassie clean the house. Their younger sister did nothing but sleep, eat, play and walk, a fact that depressed Christine, who felt the weight of her sister's authority. The pastor did not interfere much in the relations between his daughters, and he was more interested in the affairs of his congregation than in those of his house. Cassie was the only one he paid as much attention to as he could.

– Tomorrow we'll go to the river to wash," said Catherine, folding her father's dirty dresses and clothes on top of the chest.

Christine murmured something in reply and went back into her thoughts, so that she could bear the hardships of life more easily.

– I want to go to the river too! – Cassie said she liked to run along the bank and throw stones into the water.

– No, darling, you're not quite well yet," Kate told her. – You're going to stay home with Dad.

– Daddy promised to make me a new doll, but he didn't! – Cassie frowned and crossed her arms across her chest resentfully.

– He's just forgotten: he's got a lot to do at church now," Kate reassured her.

– Katie, can we sing about the chickens? – Cassie asked with a smile.

– No, that's not a good song. Let's sing a hymn.

Christine rolled her eyes and her beautiful lips spread into a smile full of sarcasm.

"What a bigot she is! Thinks there's nothing else in the world but her religion!" – she thought mockingly as she swept the floor, then decided to mend a hole in the hem of her dress, which was constantly tearing because of the old fabric.

– Chris, have you swept yet? – Kate turned to her.

Christine looked up and saw her sister fiddling at the dining room table.

– Almost, why? – She said.

– Father didn't have lunch today, so we have to take it to the church," Catherine said.

She filled a clay pot with porridge, put two slices of black bread beside it, and wrapped it all in a coarse white cloth.

– Why me again? – Christine asked unhappily.

– If you don't want it, I'll carry it myself, and you can sit with Cassie.

– No, I'd rather go to church. – She was startled by the possibility of spending time alone with her sick sister.

She quickly put the broom in the corner, put on her shoes, grabbed a bundle of food and left the house.

Cassie suddenly looked at Catherine with a look full of sadness and sorrow.

– Katie, why doesn't she love me? – She asked quietly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Catherine smiled affectionately at her, put aside her work on the dirty clothes and sat down on her knees next to her sister.

– 'Well, what have you come up with, sweetheart? Chris loves you, she just has a very bad temper," she said, stroking Cassie's hair.

She knew Cassie was right, but she was a child and extremely vulnerable, so she was better off not knowing that Christine couldn't forgive her for her mother's death.

– Why? – Cassie asked, looking at her sister with her blue eyes: even during her illness she looked like an angel.

– Because she doesn't pray much and doesn't like to read the Scriptures," Catherine explained to her. – But you and I are good Christians and love the Scriptures, aren't we?

– We do.

– All right, do you want to sing a little song about chickens?

– I don't want to… Nobody loves me but you and Daddy! – Cassie wept bitterly, and Kate tried to comfort her, but her soul was torn by her favourite sister's cries, for she loved her as a mother loves her child.