"'Has Neil needed our father? But why is he looking for him here when Dad works alongside him at the church?" – Catherine wondered.
Christine, on the other hand, frowned and looked anxiously at Neil.
The peasants huddled together, waiting impatiently for the lad to reach them.
– Pastor! Pastor! – Neil shouted again, running up to them.
– What do you want the parson for? What would he be doing here? – someone laughed.
The others picked up the laughter.
– Pastor Glowford! Oh, Kate, Chris, you're here! – Neil ran up to the girls and grabbed his sides: he had been running for a long time and now he was panting.
– What's wrong, Neil? Father is not here, he is in the church, – said to him surprised Catherine.
The lad caught his breath a little, someone brought him a jug of water, he hurriedly took a couple of sips and stared at the Glowford sisters with a mournful expression.
– Trouble! Misfortune! Pastor! A stone slab has fallen on him and…" he began, but Catherine stopped him.
– Wait, Neil, your words are so unreasonable! What's wrong with father? – She exclaimed anxiously: her heart told her that something was wrong.
Christine looked confusedly at her sister: she too felt a great anxiety.
– I say, we were working, putting up a stone slab to replace the old broken one, but it fell off and straight on the parson's head! – Neil shrieked, rounding his eyes: he was frightened and disturbed by the tragedy he had seen.
– What? God, Father! – Kate grabbed Christine's palm and squeezed it hard.
The girls and Neil were surrounded by the rest of the now frightened peasants: "God, what a disaster!", "Poor parson!", "How is he? Is he alive?" "No, he's dead." "Oh, how awful, how horrible."
– Kate, I'm sorry… He's dead," said Neil quietly, not daring to look into Catherine's eyes.
The peasants immediately broke into loud weeping and cries of regret.
– It can't be! – Catherine exclaimed, not believing Neil's words.
And without unclenching her hands, she and Chris, breaking their heads, rushed to the church. The crowd of peasants rushed after them.
Halfway there, Catherine let go of Chris's hand and overtook her to run to the church first, so that when she reached the church, she saw her sister kneeling by the bloody body of their father. Catherine was hugging his neck and sobbing loudly.