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----- {{goannp192.png}} || Good Old Anna ||


then, 'We must hope for better news in the morning.'
I asked her, 'Would you like me to send Ponting up to
you, ma'am?' But she shook her head: 'No, Howse,
I would rather be by myself. I will ring when I require
Ponting. I do not feel as if I should care to go
to bed just yet,' she says quite firmly.

"Well, ma'am, we had of course to obey her orders,
but we all felt very uncomfortable. And as a matter
of fact in about half an hour Ponting did make an
excuse to go into the room" -- he looked at the woman
by his side. "You just tell Mrs. Otway what happened,"
he said, in a tone of command.

Ponting meekly obeyed.

"I just opened the door very quietly, and Mrs.
Guthrie did not turn round. Without being at all deaf,
my mistress had got a little hard of hearing, lately. I
went a step forward, and then I saw that she was reading
the Bible. I was very much surprised, madam, for
it was the first time I had ever seen her do such a
thing -- though of course there was always a Bible and
a Prayer Book close to her hand. She was wheeled
into church each Sunday -- when it was fine, that is.
The Major saw to that.... I couldn't help feeling
sorry she hadn't rung and asked me to move the Book
for her, for it is a big Bible, with very clear print.
She was following the words with her finger, and that
was a thing I had never seen her do before with any
book. As she did not turn round, I said to myself that
it was better not to disturb her. So I just backed very
quietly out of the door again. I shall always be glad,"
she said, in a lower tone, "that I saw her like that."

"And then," interposed Howse, "quite a long time
went on, ma'am, and we all got to feel very uneasy.


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