ure to wake, speak thy aunt
Kate the two new words thou hast gotten." And she went out, looking
lovingly over her shoulder, and shut the door inaudibly.

"Joan, you will lend me a hand, and peel these?" said Catherine.

"That I will, dame." And the cooking proceeded with silent vigour.

"Now, Joan, them which help me cook and serve the meat, they help me eat
it; that's a rule."

"There's worse laws in Holland than that. Your will is my pleasure,
mistress; for my Luke hath got his supper i' the air. He is digging
to-day by good luck." (Margaret came down.)

"Eh, woman, yon is an ugly trade. There she has just washed her face
and gi'en her hair a turn, and now who is like her? Rotterdam, that for
you!" and Catherine snapped her fingers at the capital. "Give us a buss,
hussy! Now mind, Eli won't wait supper for the duke. Wherefore, loiter
not after your kerk is over."

Joan and she both followed her to the door, and stood at it watching
her a good way down the street. For among homely housewives going out
o' doors is half an incident. Catherine commented on the launch: "There,
Joan, it is almost to me as if I had just started my own daughter for
kerk, and stood a looking after: the which I've done it manys and manys
the times. Joan, lass, she won't hear a word against our Gerard; and
he be alive, he has used her cruel; that is why my bowels yearn for the
poor wench. I'm older and wiser than she; and so I'll wed her to yon
simple Luke, and there an end. What's one grandchild?"

CHAPTER LXXXV

THE CLOISTER AND THE HEARTH

The sermon had begun when Margaret entered the great church of St.
Laurens. It was a huge edifice, far from completed. Churches were not
built in a year. The side aisles were roofed, but not the mid aisle nor
the chancel; the pillars and arches were pretty perfect, and some of
them whitewashed. But only one window in the whole church was glazed;
the rest were at present great jagged openings in the outer walls.

But to-day all these uncouth imperfections made the church beautiful.
It was a glorious summer afternoon, and the sunshine came broken into
marvellous forms through those irregular openings, and played bewitching
pranks upon so many broken surfaces.

It streamed through the gaping walls, and clove the dark cool side
aisles with rivers of glory, and dazzled and glowed on the white pillars
beyond.

And nearly the whole central aisle was chequered with light and shade in
broken out