She smiled and said
demurely, "Have they not Moses and the prophets? Let them hear them."
But she would say a wicked thing quietly on her own account sometimes,
and called my attention once to a note in her prayer-book which gave
account of the walk to Emmaus with the two disciples, and how Christ had
said to them "O fools and slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets
have spoken"--the "all" being printed in small capitals.
Though scarcely on terms with her brother John, she had kept up closer
relations with Theobald and his family, and had paid a few days' visit to
Battersby once in every two years or so. Alethea had always tried to
like Theobald and join forces with him as much as she could (for they two
were the hares of the family, the rest being all hounds), but it was no
use. I believe her chief reason for maintaining relations with her
brother was that she might keep an eye on his children and give them a
lift if they proved nice.
When Miss Pontifex had come down to Battersby in old times the children
had not been beaten, and their lessons had been made lighter. She easily
saw that they were overworked and unhappy, but she could hardly guess how
all-reaching was the regime under which they lived.
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