The church was reached. They all went up the middle aisle into
the Eagle's Crag pew. He followed them in, entered himself, and
shut the door. Ruth's heart sank as she saw him there; just
opposite to her; coming between her and the clergyman who was to
read out the word of God. It was merciless--it was cruel to haunt
her there. She durst not lift her eyes to the bright eastern
light--she could not see how peacefully the marble images of the
dead lay on their tombs, for he was between her and all Light and
Peace. She knew that his look was on her; that he never turned
his glance away. She could not join in the prayer for the
remission of sins while he was there, for his very presence
seemed as a sign that their stain would never be washed out of
her life. But, although goaded and chafed by her thoughts and
recollections, she kept very still. No sign of emotion, no flush
of colour was on her face as he looked at her. Elizabeth could
not find her place, and then Ruth breathed once, long and deeply,
as she moved up the pew, and out of the straight, burning glance
of those eyes of evil meaning. When they sat down for the reading
of the first lesson, Ruth turned the corner of the seat so as no
longer to be opposite to him. She could not listen. The words
seemed to be uttered in some world far away, from which she was
exiled and cast out their sound, and yet more their meaning, was
dim and distant.
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