He felt that Una 's whereabouts ought not to be a mystery to him . Cecelia would have looked after her better than that . If only Cecelia were still with him ! How pretty and gay she had been ! How the old manse up at Maywater had echoed to her songs ! And she had gone away so suddenly , taking her laughter and music and leaving silence -- so suddenly that he had never quite got over his feeling of amazement . How could SHE , the beautiful and vivid , have died ? The idea of a second marriage had never presented itself seriously to John Meredith . He had loved his wife so deeply that he believed he could never care for any woman again . He had a vague idea that before very long Faith would be old enough to take her mother 's place . Until then , he must do the best he could alone . He sighed and went to his room , where the bed was still unmade . Aunt Martha had forgotten it , and Mary had not dared to make it because Aunt Martha had forbidden her to meddle with anything in the minister 's room . But Mr. Meredith did not notice that it was unmade . His last thoughts were of St. Augustine . CHAPTER X . THE MANSE GIRLS CLEAN HOUSE `` Ugh , '' said Faith , sitting up in bed with a shiver . `` It 's raining . I do hate a rainy Sunday . Sunday is dull enough even when it 's fine . ''
`` We ought n't to find Sunday dull , '' said Una sleepily , trying XXXXX pull her drowsy wits together with an uneasy conviction that they had overslept .
If after at because for of than that to with