She to believe. She smiled and said demurely, "Have they
not Moses and the prophets? Let them hear them." But she would say a
wicked thing quietly on her own account sometimes, and called my
attention once to a note in her prayer-book which gave an account of
the walk to Emmaus with the two disciples, and how Christ had said
to them, "O fools and slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets
have spoken"- the "all" being printed in small capitals.
Though scarcely on terms with her brother John, she had kept up
closer relations with Theobald and his family, and had paid a few
days' visit to Battersby once in every two years or so. Alethea had
always tried to like Theobald and join forces with him as much as
she could (for they two were the hares of the family, the rest being
all hounds), but it was no use. I believe her chief reason for
maintaining relations with her brother was that she might keep an
eye on his children and give them a lift if they proved nice.
When Miss Pontifex had come down to Battersby in old times the
children had not been beaten, and their lessons had been made lighter.
She easily saw that they were overworked and unhappy, but she could
hardly guess how all-reaching was the regime under which they lived.
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