| OCR Text |
Show Page 75 I, too, had noticed the graves, but not wanting to cause my hosts distress, had said nothing. I watched now as Margaret drew herself straighter upon her stool. For his part, Walter seemed to grow smaller, though it would seem impossible for a man so large. Margaret drew breath. "It is the resting place of our two daughters. They were taken by the fever last summer. Only thirteen and sixteen years they were." Margaret's calloused hand fluttered toward her face, but then reached up and smoothed her hair, which she wore in an elaborate roll atop her head much in the style common when Elizabeth was queen. It was too dark to see clearly, but methought I saw a tear glisten upon her cheek. My heart ached for her, for I knew well the pain that came from losing those you love. Yet she had said naught to me about her daughters. Indeed, Margaret was a puzzlement. Until that evening I was sore perplexed to guess her age, for her hair was dark grey and she was missing all her front teeth on the bottom. Yet judging from the age of her daughters, she could not have seen more than five and thirty years. "It is a raw, harsh land we have come to," Anne said softly. "Aye,"replied Margaret. "And we are the only barrier of civilization." Richard emptied his pipe and rose to his feet. As he took |
