ay weeping on the
floor beside her mother's bed; she wept away her anguish; her
fever-dreams; her burden of guilt. There was no end to her tears.

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR

It was on the Sunday before Christmas they were to bury Katrina of
Ruffluck. Usually on that particular Sabbath the church attendance
is very poor, as most people like to put off their church-going
until the great Holy Day services.

When the few mourners from the Ashdales drove into the pine grove
between the church and the town hall, they were astonished. For
such crowds of people as were assembled there that Sunday were
rarely seen even when the Dean of Bro came to Svartsjoe once a year,
to preach, or at a church election.

It went without saying that it was not for the purpose of following
old Katrina to her grave that every one to a man turned out.
Something else must have brought them there. Possibly some great
personage was expected at the church, or maybe some clergyman other
than the regular pastor was going to preach, thought the Ashdales
folk, who lived in such an out-of-the-way corner that much could
happen in the parish without their ever hearing of it.

The mourners drove up to the cleared space behind the town hall,
where they stepped down from the wagons. Here, as in the grove,
they found throngs of people, but otherwise they saw nothing out of
the ordinary. Their astonishment increased, but they felt loath to
question any one as to what was going on; for persons who drive in
a funeral procession are expected to keep to themselves and not to
enter into conversation with those who have no part in the mourning.

The coffin was removed from the hearse and placed upon two black
trestles which had been set up just outside the town hall, where
the body and those who had come with it were to remain until the
bells began to toll and the pastor and the sexton were ready to go
with them to the churchyard.

It was a stormy day. Rain came down in lashing showers and beat
against the coffin. One thing was certain: it could never be said
that fine weather had brought all these people out.

But that day nobody seemed to mind the rain and wind. People stood
quietly and patiently under the open sky without seeking the
shelter of either the church or the town hall.

The six pall-bearers and others who had gathered around Katrina
noticed that there were two trestles there besides those on which
her coffin rested. Then there was to be anot