And in that week there was one day when all humanity seemed nailed to the cross ; on that day the whole planet must have been agroan with universal convulsion ; everywhere the hearts of men were failing them for fear . It dawned calmly and coldly and greyly at Ingleside . Mrs. Blythe and Rilla and Miss Oliver made ready for church in a suspense tempered by hope and confidence . The doctor was away , having been summoned during the wee sma 's to the Marwood household in Upper Glen , where a little war-bride was fighting gallantly on her own battleground to give life , not death , to the world . Susan announced that she meant to stay home that morning -- a rare decision for Susan . `` But I would rather not go to church this morning , Mrs. Dr. dear , '' she explained . `` If Whiskers-on-the-moon were there and I saw him looking holy and pleased , as he always looks when he thinks the Huns are winning , I fear I would lose my patience and my sense of decorum and hurl a Bible or hymn-book at him , thereby disgracing myself and the sacred edifice . No , Mrs. Dr. dear , I shall stay home from church till the tide turns and pray hard here . '' `` I think I might as well stay home , too , for all the good church will do me today , '' Miss Oliver said to Rilla , as they walked down the hard-frozen red road to the church . `` I can think of nothing but the question , ` Does the line still hold ? ' '' `` Next Sunday will be Easter , '' said Rilla . `` Will it herald death or life to our cause ? '' Mr. Meredith preached that morning from the text , `` He that endureth to the end shall be saved , '' and hope and confidence rang through his inspiring sentences . Rilla , looking up at the memorial tablet on the wall above their pew , `` sacred to the memory of Walter Cuthbert Blythe , '' felt herself lifted out of her dread and filled anew with courage . Walter could not have laid down his life for naught . His had been the gift of prophetic vision and he had foreseen victory . She would cling to that belief -- the line would hold . In this renewed mood she walked home from church almost gaily . The others , too , were hopeful , and all went smiling into Ingleside . There was no one in the living-room , save Jims , who had fallen asleep on the sofa , and Doc , who sat `` hushed in grim repose '' on the hearth-rug , looking very Hydeish indeed .
No one was XXXXX the dining-room either -- and , stranger still , no dinner was on the table , which was not even set .
If above at for from in into of on with