Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
The nurse went to seek her one evening, and found the young woman in
a dense cloud of blue that emanated from a costly thurible, which she
was swinging before the crucifix in the Chapel. Ascending with the
sweet incense was a psalm of contrition uttered from a truly penitent
heart. A tall candle burned, lighting up the white-robed figure, and
the filmy incense that enveloped it to a saintly vision. Though Janet
watched her mistress thus environed with sacredness, yet the deep
impression was somewhat charged with a sense of humour; "for," she
opined to herself, "people are so much more ridiculous in mending a
breach than they are in making it!" But Janet was not a Catholic, and
beside, she made few mistakes and could condone an offence only when
made by one she loved. Knowing Katherine as she did, she admired the
outward show more than the spirit, and thought of the two the former
was more stable. Katherine often prayed aloud, and Janet hearing her,
caught the burden of her prayer, and there was actual pain in her
voice when she cried out that Cedric might be forgiven for the murder
of Christopher. Now Janet knew that the lad had only been slightly
injured by Hiary and had fully recovered, and she determined to send
for him, and at the Vesper service introduce him into the Chapel and
thereby cause to cease her mistress' plaints. And so it came about in
the late autumn, when Crandlemar was about to receive its new master
from Wales, and the plate and all belongings of the Duke had been sent
to Ellswold, and Katherine herself was to set forth for London within
a few days, she entered the Chapel for her customary devotions. As she
prayed, she was aroused by the opening of the outer door. She looked
up and saw Christopher before her. Janet was surprised at her calmness
and was amazed when Katherine said to him that she had been expecting
to see him all day, as she had heard the evening before that he was
alive and had been seen near the castle grounds. Now it was impossible
to make Katherine think it was a direct answer to prayer, though Janet
did her best. But as it proved, a great weight had fallen from the
Duchess' heart, for she became perfectly joyous and positively
neglected her devotions in the Chapel. She was delighted to set forth,
for the moment had actually arrived, and within a few days she would
see Cedric, and, she hoped, her father also; but the latter's abode
was unknown to her, save only that 'twas in London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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