The Distracted Preacher — Thomas Hardy

I have never particularly felt it as a duty and besides my first husband She stopped and there was some confusion in her voice Stockdale was so honest and unsophisticated that he did not at once discern why she paused but at last he did perceive that the words were a slip and that no woman would have uttered lsquo first husband by accident unless she had thought pretty frequently of a second He felt for her confusion and allowed her time to recover and proceed lsquo My husband she said in a self corrected tone lsquo used to know of their doings and so did my father and kept the secret I cannot inform in fact against anybody lsquo I see the hardness of it he continued like a man who looked far into the moral of things lsquo And it is very cruel that you should be tossed and tantalized between your memories and your conscience I do hope Mrs Newberry that you will soon see your way out of this unpleasant position lsquo Well I dont just now she murmured By this time they had passed over the wall and entered the house where she brought him a glass and hot water and left him to his own reflections He looked after her vanishing form asking himself whether he as a respectable man and a minister and a shining light even though as yet only of the halfpenny candle sort were quite justified in doing this thing