"
Then these men and women, who had been privately unstinting in their
blame of Missis and her selfish way, held their peace. She had been with
God. About that communion they did not dare to comment.
As it neared five o'clock, Jane's maid came into the kitchen with
another note of surprise. "Missis hes dressed hersen in white from head
to foot," she cried. "She told me to put away her black things out of
sight. I doan't know what to think of such ways. It isn't half a year
yet since the child died."
"I'd think no wrong if I was thee, Lydia Swale. Thou hesn't any warrant
for thinking wrong but what thou gives thysen, and thou be neither judge
nor jury," said an old woman, making Devonshire cream.
"In white from top to toe," Lydia continued, "even her belt was of white
satin ribbon, and she put a white rose in her hair, too. It caps me.
It's a queer dooment."
"Brush the black frocks over thy arm and then go and smarten thysen up a
bit. It will be dinner-time before thou hes thy work done."
"Happen it may.
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