“Why, she never goes to church.”
Her husband found these observations distasteful. He waited till Sunday, and then told his wife to get dressed for church.
“I don’t care what you may say,” says he. “Go and get ready directly.”
Well, they got ready, and went to church. The husband went in—didn’t see anything particular. But when she looked round—there was the Fiend sitting at a window.
“Ha! here you are, at last!” he cried. “Remember old times. Were you in the church that night?”
“No.”
“And did you see what I was doing there?”
“No.”
“Very well! To-morrow both your husband and your son will die.”
Marusia rushed straight out of the church and away to her grandmother. The old woman gave her two phials, the one full of holy water, the other of the water of life, and told her what she was to do. Next day both Marusia’s husband and her son died. Then the Fiend came flying to her and asked:—