A shorter office, the Hours of the Cross, typically follows the Hours of the Virgin. Both the Hours of the Cross and the Hours of the Holy Spirit are accompanied by one illumination, rather than the illuminations at each hour in the Hours of the Virgin. Not surprisingly, it is a depiction of the Crucifixion that introduces the Hours of the Cross. Often the Virgin Mary and St. John stand nearby in mourning. Occasionally a larger crowd, including disciples, soldiers, and others, gather round. The Passion Hours, a longer cycle, may appear instead of the Hours of the Cross. In our collection of Books of Hours, the Passion Hour illuminations were inconsistent or narrative in design. These variations attest to the individual and regional nature of Books of Hours, because local custom and individual preference dictated the structure of these books.