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Life in Walsingham was as quiet as a nearly dried-up brook: the people lived immersed in their own little world, in their own community, but the appearance of a new face in it, the Landlord, stirred them, and they looked forward to the Sunday mass of tomorrow.
Chapter 2
– And why is everyone so eagerly awaiting this lord's arrival? – Catherine asked her father as the Glowfords went to bed.
The Glowfords' cottage was old and small, but the sisters and their father lived in separate rooms: with Cassie's birth, the parson had divided the large room into two, leaving the daughters the larger one, while he contented himself with a corner that contained his sleeping mat, a chest of belongings, and a large wooden crucifix on the wall. The rooms were co
– Because their hearts are filled with hope," the pastor replied briefly to the daughter's question, interrupting her prayer for an answer.
– But why is he coming now, in the spring, when we have already gone through a terrible winter? – Catherine asked, not satisfied with her father's answer.
– Because God sends him when he is most needed," the pastor replied with a sigh.
– Will you ask him for the church? – Catherine asked again.
– Can't you be quiet? I'm trying to sleep! – Christine, curled up on her mattress under a rough woollen blanket, dreaming of tomorrow.
– We are talking with father about very important matters! – Kate said to her reproachfully. – Will the new lord repair the church and give us a new organ?
– Of course I'll ask him for the church, but I won't insist. You know that the true church is our souls, and in the parish we gather to honour God with common prayers and hymns for His grace, and no more. My dear, there is no need to deify a stone building," Pastor Glowford said with a slight reproach to his eldest daughter.
There was silence in the house for a few moments, and the pastor was able to continue his prayer.
– Cassie needs a new dress," Kate said thoughtfully, and stroked the head of her sister, who slept beside her on her mattress. – Her old one is all worn out.
– Well, of course! Cassie's getting her third dress this year! – grumbled Christine, who had only received one dress for the year.
– You should read the Bible more and pray to God for guidance," Catherine told her earnestly, believing it would make her more sensible.
– Cassie does nothing around the house but run round the field and catch bugs. Why should she get a new dress? – Christine said with undisguised anger.
Catherine sighed deeply, irritated by her sister's words: in her opinion, Christine's misfortune was that she was not diligent in serving the Lord, so her soul was filled with envy and resentment that the best things did not go to her.
– Christine, please pray," said the pastor, who had to interrupt her prayer again. – And you, Catherine, sew up Cassie's dress. We can't get a new one right now.
Pastor Glowford knew that there was little friendship between his daughters: Kate and Cassie were always together, but Christine tried to avoid socialising with them and often left the house for long periods of time. Talks and sermons did not help, and the pastor tried to ignore his daughters' relations, immersing himself in the affairs and sorrows of his parishioners: he knew that prudent Catherine would cope with the house and Christine's character, and that Christine herself would soften after marriage, and Cassie would always be close to Catherine, who would not let anyone hurt her.
When the pastor thought of his youngest daughter, his heart was filled with love, pity and remorse: there was a time when sin had broken his faith and made him a bitter drunkard, and neither wife nor children could save him. During this black streak Mrs. Glowford became pregnant for the third time, and Cassandra was born, while the mother died of a haemorrhage after struggling to unburden herself. The pastor was left alone with three daughters, one of whom was an infant. He did not know what to do, his hands were down, but his eldest nine-year-old daughter Catherine took care of the child, replacing her mother. Christine cried for a long time and did not want to even look at Cassie, because she considered her guilty for the death of her mother, to whom Christine was very attached. Cassie's birth brought the pastor out of darkness into light: he took up his work again and worked hard and almost without rest to feed his daughters. Cassie became a sign from God that helped him out of his drunke
***
Christine lay embracing her knees and wept silently: her soul could not bear the poverty that surrounded her, and all the men who asked her to marry her were poor like herself. She cried that here, in this rotten place, her beauty would fade in vain, and her life would remain the life of a poor pastor's daughter. In her heart she thought, sharp as a needle, why should Cassie want such beauty, with her sick mind? She hated her poor sister for it.
Cassie, on the other hand, had no idea that they were poor, no idea how hard food and clothes were to get, no idea that she was sick. She lived the joyful life of a child and was happy just to exist. Cassie slept the sound sleep of a child, in the arms of Catherine, whom she loved as much as children love their mother.
***
In the morning the church was full of people: everyone came, even the sick and heavy-lifting old people (their sons and sons-in-law brought them in their arms). Everyone was curious to see the new Landlord of Walsingham: they even made a new pew for him and put it in the front row on the left (for this purpose they had to move the other pews closer to the exit). But the Sunday mass had already begun, and the pew was still empty: the lord was not coming, and the peasants began to lose hope of his appearance. Some of them begged the pastor to postpone the service until the Lord arrived, but the pastor refused, saying that no one had the right to keep God waiting. The service continued. A chorus of voices rose to the roof, skewed by time and the heavy snows that covered it every winter.
Suddenly one of the belated parishioners came hurriedly into the church: he whispered something in the ear of a near neighbour, the latter became agitated and whispered in the ear of another, and soon a whisper ran through the church: "He's coming, he's coming!" The Glowfords were excited too, but not Cassie for she was asleep with her head resting on the back of the pew.
The peasants' eyes centred on the church door, and soon indeed the one they had been waiting for so eagerly appeared, but he was not alone: there were two gentlemen, and the peasants were wondering which of them was the landlord of Walsingham.
The gentlemen entered the church at a leisurely walk, and stopping at the very back of the pews, almost touching the wall, took the vacant seats, and began to look cautiously, leisurely at the modest decoration of the church. Two country lads immediately brought the gentlemen a pew made for them: the lords smiled, thanked them, and moved to it, inviting the obliging little ones to sit down beside them. The gentlemen seemed unwilling to draw attention to themselves and behaved quietly and modestly.