United States or Russia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
By a quarter-past ten they were both nodding. It was about that hour that Hunt in his position as verger once more appeared. The church doors were opened to the community at large, the bells began to ring out a merry and bridal peal, and the inhabitants of the town, the rich and poor alike, filed into the church. Mrs. Butler was right. Long before eleven o'clock the building was packed. Mrs.
Thrush had told Dion all his hopes and fears with regard to the Dean, and had dwelt on his overwhelming desire to become a verger. Quite unself-conscious in his simplicity he rose almost to dignity. He frankly confessed his "failing," and alluded to the taking of the modified pledge.
Higgs, the verger, do hate the vicar's lady, sir he do, and no mistake but he says anybody could see with 'alf a heye that she was a real saint. The subscriptions she puts down to missions and church restorings it's quite wonderful. The curate ran his hand wearily through his hair. He felt called upon to say something. 'I have the highest respect for Mrs. Moore, he began.
Tomb of another bishop, where I had to tie it again because I did it so badly the first time. Sketch of the shoe; the shoe-lace worn out with much tying. Sketch of the blessed verger who called her "madam," when we were walking together. Sketch of her blush when he did it the prettiest thing in the world. Sketch of J. Q. Copley contemplating the ruins of his heart. "How are the mighty fallen!"
"Here you may eat," he said laconically. With a grateful glance the youth seated himself on the edge of a chair and opening his handkerchief took out a piece of the dry bread. His teeth broke it crisply, and crunched sharply upon it as he ate. The old man nodded with satisfaction. "That is the mouse," he said. The youth smiled faintly. "Where do you come from?" asked the verger. "From Lüneburg."
"When I was a lad," pursued the other, after sipping at his refilled glass, "I lived just by an old church in the City, and I knew the verger, and he used to let me look over the registers. I think that's what gave me my turn for genealogy. I believe there are fellows who get a living by hunting up pedigrees; that would just suit me, if I only knew how to start in the business."
When the coral reef was passed, when the fairy blue of the island waters had changed to the dark swell of the Atlantic, he slipped the bolt in the door of his cabin and took out the letter. "I laughed because you were so wonderfully two men in one," it began, "I was in the church at St. George's the day when you sent the verger away and went into the pulpit and said parts of the service.
Isa could not help herself, not being the outermost; but she was much distressed, and does not shelter herself under Charley's plea that it was so hot that the verger should have been indicted for cruelty to animals. Certainly they all did come home very hot from walking back with the pupils.
When the service was over the two girls wandered about together gazing at the monuments, reading the inscriptions which recalled noble deeds, and exchanging ardent confidences the while. "I should like to come here every day," said Mellicent softly, "every single day. I should like to be a verger, and spend my life in an abbey. I think I could be awfully good if I lived here always.
Would it not be better that he should go away and see her no more? The very tone in which the verger had spoken of Miss Mary had thrown to the winds those doubts which had come from the teaching of Adelaide Houghton and Guss Mildmay. If she had been as they said, would even her father have felt for her as he did feel, and been carried away by his indignation at the sound of an evil word?
Word Of The Day