Cabe musing:
I totally missed this my first few times through this story. "In state" --that's what queens do! So that tells us something, but is it about Eliza or about the boy? Literally, that is on the realistic level, she is sitting there as though she is "holding state" --like a queen on a throne. But there's more!
The OED says "to be in state, to be seized (of). That is, to be put in possession of, to put to immediate advantage of." It's a legal term that comes from words that mean to claim unattested.
So the boy may understand that some small financial assets have come to Eliza with Father Flynn's death. Someone reading this may know if this is likely. E-mail Dr. Germain and he can update the information with your comment if I'm wrong. If this isn't correct, then the question is, what is Eliza claiming, or in possession of, now that Father Flynn is dead?
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