human
Saw you ever a parson so use himself, Aubrey? Truly I know not how to specify it--turning, and twisting, and bowing, and casting up of his hands and eyes--it well-nigh made me for to laugh!
gpt
Like a merry Andrew or a cheap Jack,
human
I thought his sermon stranger yet, said Hans,
gpt
What was his text?
human
Ay, and all he did, the hour through, cried Lettice,
gpt
I mind Sir Aubrey once saying, added Hans,
human
But saw you those two great candlesticks on the holy table?--what for be they?
gpt
Oh, they be but ornaments of the church,
human
But we have none such in Keswick Church: and what is the good of candlesticks without candles?
gpt
The candles will come,
human
Ah! you're thinking of what the old gentlewoman said last night-- confess, Master Sobersides!
gpt
I have thought much on it, answered Hans, who walked along, carrying the ladies' prayer-books; for the road being dirty, they had enough to do in holding up their gowns.
human
And I think she hath the right.
gpt
Hans, I marvel how old thou wert when thou wert born!
human
I think, very like, about as old as you were,
gpt
Well, Mr Louvaine, you are a complete young gentleman! cried his Aunt Temperance, looking back at him.
human
To suffer three elder gentlewomen to trudge in the mire, and never so much as offer to hand one of them! Those were not good manners, my master, when I was a young maid--but seeing how things be changed now o' days, maybe that has gone along with them. Come hither at once, thou vagrant, and give thine hand to thy mother, like a dutiful son as thou shouldest be, and art not.
gpt
Oh, never mind me! sighed Faith.
human
I have given over expecting such a thing. I am only a poor widow.
gpt
Madam, apologised Hans, very red in the face,
human
I do truly feel ashamed that I have no better done my duty, and I entreat you not--
gpt
I was not faulting thee, lad, said Temperance.
human
We have already laden thee with books; and it were too much to look for thee to do thine own duty and other folks' too. It's this lazy lad I want. I dare be bound he loveth better to crack jests with his cousins than to be dutiful to his old mother and aunts.
gpt
Temperance, I am only thirty-nine, said Faith in an injured voice.
human
I am the youngest of us three.
gpt
Oh deary me! I ask your pardon, cried Temperance, with a queer set of her lips.
human
Yes, Madam, you are; Edith is an old woman of forty, and I a decrepit creature of forty-five; but you are a giddy young thing of thirty-nine. I'll try to mind it, at least till your next birthday.
gpt
Come, Aubrey, hand thy mother on my side; I will walk with Lettice and Hans.
human
Aunt Edith, said Lettice,
gpt
I cannot tell, Lettice, replied she;
human
I fear, if the parson dared, there would be candles in them, and belike will, ere long.
gpt
Think you Aunt Joyce is right in what she said last night?
human
I fear so, Lettice, she answered very gravely.
gpt
We have not yet seen the last, I doubt, of Satan and his Roman legion.
human
Cousin Anstace
gpt
Mind you Queen Mary's days, Rebecca?
human
Eh, sweet heart! said the old servant.
gpt
They could ne'er be forgot by any that lived in them.
human
Saw you any of the dreadful burnings?
gpt
Ay, did I, Mrs Lettice, said she,--
human
It must have been dreadful, Rebecca!
gpt
Well, it was, in one way, she answered:
human
Saw you the Bishops burned, Rebecca--Dr Ridley and Dr Latimer?
gpt
I did not, Mrs Lettice; yet have I seen them both, prisoners, led through Oxford streets. Dr Ridley was a man with a look so grave that it was well-nigh severe: but Dr Latimer could break a jest with any man, and did, yea, with his very judges.
human
Were you ever in any danger, Rebecca?--or Mrs Morrell?
gpt
I never was, Mrs Lettice; but my good mistress was once well-nigh taken of the catchpoll [constable]. You ask her to tell you the story, how she came at him with the red-hot poker. And after that full quickly she packed her male, and away to Selwick to Sir Aubrey and her Ladyship, where she tarried hid until Queen Elizabeth came in.
human
Think you there shall ever be such doings in England again?
gpt
The Lord knoweth, and old Rebecca shook her white head.
human
There's not a bit of trust to be put in them snakes of priests and Jesuits and such like: not a bit! Let them get the upper hand again, and we shall have the like times. Good Lord, deliver us from them all!