The Maidens of Walsingham - стр. 39

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.