He
assures me that this was the only spiteful thing he did during the
whole time he was at Battersby.
When he went up to his bedroom, in which, to do them justice, they
had given him a fire, he noticed what indeed he had noticed as soon as
he was shown into it on his arrival, that there was an illuminated
card framed and glazed over his bed with the words, "Be the day
weary or be the day long, at last it ringeth to evensong." He wondered
to himself how such people could leave such a card in a room in
which their visitors would have to spend the last hours of their
evening, but he let it alone. "There's not enough difference between
'weary' and 'long' to warrant an 'or,'" he said, "but I suppose it
is all right." I believe Christina had bought the card at a bazaar
in aid of the restoration of a neighbouring church, and having been
bought it had got to be used- besides, the sentiment was so touching
and the illumination was really lovely. how, no irony could be more
complete than leaving it in my hero's bedroom, though assuredly no
irony had been intended.
On the third day after Ernest's arrival Christina relapsed again.
For the last two days she had been in no pain and had slept a good
deal; her son's presence still seemed to cheer her, and she often said
how thankful she was to be surrounded on her death-bed by a family
so happy, so God-fearing, so united, but now she began to wander, and,
being more sensible of the approach of death, seemed also more alarmed
at the thoughts of the Day of Judgement.
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