– 'It's all right, sweetheart. Christine wanted to go for a walk in the field," Kate reassured her, used to shielding her younger sister from upsetting her.

– Can I go for a walk, too? – Cassie asked, licking the rest of her porridge off her plate.

– I told you it's not nice to do that! – Kate said sternly when she saw her sister's behaviour.

Cassie immediately stopped what she was doing and put her plate on the table.

– Katie, can I go for a walk? – The girl asked hopefully again.

– We have to wait for Dad.

– "Oh," Cassie said disappointedly. – When will he be back?

– He'll be here soon. You know what? Let's fix your dress," Catherine said, getting up from the table and clearing away the dirty plates. – But first we'll wash the dishes.

She grabbed the plates, went out into the yard, washed them thoroughly in a barrel of water and returned home. Then Catherine took Cassie's torn dress out of the clothes chest and began to mend it with short, inconspicuous stitches.

– Why is there such a hole here? – Catherine asked her sister.

– Where?" she said indifferently. – I don't know, Katie.

Cassie sat down on her mattress and began to play with a hideous straw doll, which she loved in spite of its ugliness. She had no other toys.

– Honey, try to be more careful, will you? – Kate told her affectionately. – You know you have to keep things safe, right? Will you try?

– Mm-hmm. Can I go for a walk?

– No. Dad's not back yet.

Cassie glanced sadly at Catherine, tossed the doll into a corner, and watched as her sister deftly stitched her tattered dress. Seeing the curiosity on her younger sister's face, Kate smiled affectionately and stroked her curly hair.

"Poor Cassie! She doesn't realise that Christine doesn't have an ounce of sisterly love for her! But it must be so: the Lord is purposely protecting her sick mind from hurt and regret," thought Catherine sadly.

***

Christine, feeling resentful at Catherine's reproach, hastened to get away from home; she sat down under a large, budding oak tree, wrapped herself in her threadbare woollen shawl, and tearfully reflected on her poverty. Walsingham, which two centuries ago had been a large, flourishing and wealthy village, but which had gradually turned into a dying tiny hamlet, bound this vain beauty. Christine felt trapped in the dark stone house of the Glowfords: the clay floor, the cold walls, the cracked frames of the only window – all this pressed on the girl, deprived of joy and peace. At the same time, her life was poisoned by her younger sister: Christine disliked Cassie because she required delicate care, like a rare flower, and was filled with envy that her father loved Cassie more than she did. And Cassie was so beautiful that Christine's heart oozed with the poisonous bile of envy of her sick sister's beauty. The girl was desperate, and her deepest dream was to escape from the dying Walsingham ruins. However, she lacked the courage to dare to take such a bold step.

"'What should I do? I'm withering away here like a plant deprived of water! What of value is there in my life? Beauty? Only I was noticed by the landlord in the church… He looked at me with such admiring eyes! He's so handsome! But how could he be interested in a poor girl? Only in fairy tales! – Christine thought bitterly, and the tears of despair and hopelessness ran down her cheeks again. – Will I ever get out of this dark corner? When will I finally live in my own beautiful home, eating sweets and wearing fancy dresses?"

When darkness fell, Christine returned to the hovel she hated, where a hot supper and her older sister's silent disapproval awaited her. Christine had no appetite, for once again the meal was a bland porridge, which she had long since had enough of. Christine took off her shoes and her casual work dress and left her in a rough undershirt. She lay down on her bunk, facing the wall, and deliberately hid her head under the blanket, ignoring her sisters and father.