The night was now pitch dark, and the rain was falling, and abroad he would encounter all the severity of the pitiless winter.

Still it might have been better that he should have gone.

The exercise and the fresh air, even the wet and the mud, would have served to bring back his mind to reason.

But his wife thought of the misery of the journey, of his scanty clothing, of his worn boots, of the need there was to preserve the raiment which he wore; and she remembered that he was fasting,--that he had eaten nothing since the morning, and that he was not fit to be alone.

She stopped him, therefore, before he could reach the door.
"Your bidding shall be done," she said,--"of course." "Tell them, then, that they must seek me here if they want me." "But, Josiah, think of the parish,--of the people who respect you,--for their sakes let it not be said that you were taken away by policemen." "Was St.Paul not bound in prison?
Did he think of what the people might see ?" "If it were necessary, I would encourage you to bear it without a murmur." "It is necessary, whether you murmur, or do not murmur.