Page 127 - Fairbrass

dull and dusty without and musty within ;

the cortege of empty carriages sent for
courtesy’s sake by neighbours who didn’t

care to take the trouble to come themselves;

the professionally pawing black horses, false
maned and false tailed, and let out on

equivalently fabulous terms. It was really
quite a relief to everyone when the slow

drive was over, and the church in which the
Kneeling Knight joined his stony palms in

perpetual prayer was reached.

It was the first funeral at which Fairbrass
had been present, and he was amazed to

find how little it impressed him. For the
life of him he could not realise that the

familiar face and figure of his grandfather
would never more be seen in its wonted

place in the family pew, and that it was the

old man’s body that lay under the lid of the
coffin resting in the aisle. The boy had

expected to be awe-stricken, but it all seemed
to be only some strange, unimpressive dream.

He glanced up at his father's face and
judged from his stern look and set features