“Do not spare. Never fear. Let me hear the very words.”
“On one face of the block there was a name—
‘WILLIAM SEDHURST,
AGED 27,
DIED MAY 13, 1729.’
On the other side was this inscription:—
‘MARY,
ONLY DAUGHTER OF GEORGE SEDHURST, ESQUIRE,
AGED 19,
DIED AUGUST 1st, 1729.
Love is strong as Death.
Sorrow not as others that have no Hope.’
In smaller letters down below, ‘This epitaph is at her own special request.’
“Sir,” continued Aurelia, “it was very curious. I should not have observed those words if it had not been that a large beautiful butterfly, with rainbow eyes on its wings, sat sunning itself on the white marble, and Fay called me to look at it.”
“Her message! May I ask you to repeat it again?”
“The texts? ‘Love is strong as death. Sorrow not as others that have no hope.’”
“Did you call them Scripture texts?”