[{"node":{"title":"Hanna142","Collections":"Part Two","Contributor":"Linen Hall Library","Coverage":"1951","Creator":"Linen Hall Library","Date":"Thursday, April 7, 2016","Format":"TIFF","Identifier":"Hanna142","Item Description":"Manuscript","Keywords":"Belfast, Shephard","Language":"English","Path":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/hanna142","Publisher":"Linen Hall Library","Relation":"Linen Hall Library","Rights":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA","Scanned image":{"src":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Hanna142_0.jpg","alt":""},"Source":"LHL Archive","Transcript":"\ufeff136\n\nIn a short time she was back with a tray on which sat two cups\nand saucers, buttered barnbrack, and their intimate little supper\nteapot in its woollen cosy. He cleared the leather pouffe of scissors\nand needles and the evening paper so that she could set down the tray.\n\nHe didnt speak to her as he sat there, eating his bread and\nsipping his tea and staring into the fire. But there was nothing\nunusual about that, she never expected him to speak to her, much.\nHe is thinking of his sermon she reassured herself, in accordance\nwith the pitiable game of make-believe that she had played for years.\nThen suddenly he looked across at her. \"Victoria, I\u2019ve decided to -\nto ask for a transfer to Belfast.\" The last six words came in a rush.\nFor once she was startled, \"But - I thought you wore happy, Edwin.\nDont you remember you said you had a sense of fulfilment here?\u201d\n\nHe beat his hand impatiently on the arm of his chair, \"Yes, yes,\nbut there\u2019s no scope here! I feel that I could be of more use in\nBelfast. Anyway, its time I had a change in the city.\" He was quite\nirritable by now, not so much with her as with himself. What he had\nmeant to say, calmly and with no further discussion, was, \u2019Victoria,\nI\u2019ve decided to leave the church and take up teaching, perhaps,\u2019 But\nhis courage had failed at the enormity of that, and he had retreated\neven further, in the reason he had given for leaving Ravara.\n\nBut she understood him so perfectly. Had she not dedicated herself\nfor just such as this, to be the pastor\u2019s helpmeet; the shepherd\u2019a staff\nas she once laughingly described herself at a women\u2019s meeting? ( an old\nilliterate peasant woman had rebuked her by quoting the fourth versa of\nthe twentythird Psalm).\n","Type":"Text"}}]