CHAPTER XIV
18 lines✦
he story of the altercation between the young minister and a part of hiscongregation was well bruited about the town, and all united in placing thefault heavily on the young man's shoulders. As for him, he did not care. Hewas wild with the enjoyment of his new-found freedom. Only now andagain, as he sat at the table the morning after, and looked into the sad facesof Eliphalet and his guardian, did he feel any sorrow at the turn matters hadtaken. In regard to Elizabeth, he felt only relief. It was as if a half-defined idea inhis mind had been suddenly realised. For some time he had believed hetunable either to understand him or to sympathise with his motives. He hadbegun to doubt the depth of his own feeling for her. Then had come hertreatment of him last Sunday, and somehow, while he knew it was at herfather's behest, he could not help despising her weakness. He had spent much of the night before in packing his few effects, and allwas now teady for his departure as they sat at breakfast. Mrs. Hodges wasunusually silent, and her haggard face and swollen eyes told how she hadpassed the night. All in a single hour she had seen the work of the best part 79
✦