Sundays were the only Sundays off from work in the fields and church, but despite the fatigue, everyone, including the children, came to the service. The pastor himself was as tired as the others, but he did not show it, so that he could encourage the spirit and faith of his parishioners by his own example.
Christine was desperate to see Lord Draymore and had not yet spoken to her father about her desire to move to London, for she had no money, and her soul was in deep distress.
The weather had been hot since the beginning of July, and the peasants had to water their gardens every day by travelling to the river and carrying heavy buckets of water. At the Glowfords', the parson, Kate and Chris took turns fetching water when they came home for lunch. Cassie, on the other hand, was exempt from this duty and spent all day out of the house, arriving at her squalid dwelling late at night. Since the apple trees of the local peasants had been ripped off, the children and Cassie plundered the orchard at Rivershold, where the apple trees were tall, lush, and full of beautiful, tasty apples (but this was kept a closely guarded secret between the children and Cassie, for it was punishable by a big smack from the parents and a lecture from the parson). But the children did not regard their actions as stealing or any other offence, for to tear apples was a common thing for them, and Cassie, who was not so clever as they were, thought the same.
In the middle of the month the work in the fields and in the church was suspended for the christening of a newly born child at Walsingham, but then the hard work began again. They had had some rest in body and mind over the weekend of the christening and were now eager to get on with their work, singing hymns in the field, chatting, gossiping and making plans for the betrothal of Christine Glowford and John Tiley. There was even a rumour in the village that the girl had at first "backed out» but had agreed to marry John. Christine herself, who knew that it was a pure lie, did not talk to anyone, did not socialise, was sullen and forced her father to officially announce at one of the evenings that these rumours are not justified, but bored poor people did not calm down and judged that the maidens Glowford overstayed in maidens: okay, say, Catherine did not go to marry for a good reason, but Christine what she is waiting for!
Kate saw how these nasty gossips affected her sister's mood and tried to cheer her up. Now, when she saw Christine crouched near her place of work, crying with resentment because her neighbours in the field didn't bother to whisper gossip and did it in full voice, Kate went over to her and stroked her back.
– Don't be sad, Chris: the Lord's judgement will come upon those gossipers, and then they will be sorry for speaking their tongues," she said affectionately to Christine.
– Yes, but when will that be? When it happens, I won't care about all this gossip, because I'll be in heaven too! – Chris exclaimed hotly, and tears of resentment sprang from her eyes. – How dare they say such nasty things, as if I were going to marry that redneck! If I don't, then I'm not good and proud!
– Everyone knows that John is in love with you, that's why the rumours are going round. But, dear, don't be so sad: John will soon marry someone else, and everyone will realise how cruel they were in discussing you," Catherine told her. – God sees their hearts and will soon punish them for their gossip, contrary to the Scriptures, and gossip is displeasing to God…
– Pastor! Pastor! – suddenly the sisters heard a loud male shout.
All the peasants looked up to see Neil Worley, who was working on the restoration of the church, running towards them. The lad was running towards the crowd, and his hurried running foretold that he was carrying important news.
"'Has Neil needed our father? But why is he looking for him here when Dad works alongside him at the church?" – Catherine wondered.
Christine, on the other hand, frowned and looked anxiously at Neil.
The peasants huddled together, waiting impatiently for the lad to reach them.
– Pastor! Pastor! – Neil shouted again, running up to them.
– What do you want the parson for? What would he be doing here? – someone laughed.
The others picked up the laughter.
– Pastor Glowford! Oh, Kate, Chris, you're here! – Neil ran up to the girls and grabbed his sides: he had been running for a long time and now he was panting.
– What's wrong, Neil? Father is not here, he is in the church, – said to him surprised Catherine.
The lad caught his breath a little, someone brought him a jug of water, he hurriedly took a couple of sips and stared at the Glowford sisters with a mournful expression.
– Trouble! Misfortune! Pastor! A stone slab has fallen on him and…" he began, but Catherine stopped him.
– Wait, Neil, your words are so unreasonable! What's wrong with father? – She exclaimed anxiously: her heart told her that something was wrong.
Christine looked confusedly at her sister: she too felt a great anxiety.
– I say, we were working, putting up a stone slab to replace the old broken one, but it fell off and straight on the parson's head! – Neil shrieked, rounding his eyes: he was frightened and disturbed by the tragedy he had seen.
– What? God, Father! – Kate grabbed Christine's palm and squeezed it hard.
The girls and Neil were surrounded by the rest of the now frightened peasants: "God, what a disaster!", "Poor parson!", "How is he? Is he alive?" "No, he's dead." "Oh, how awful, how horrible."
– Kate, I'm sorry… He's dead," said Neil quietly, not daring to look into Catherine's eyes.
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.
