The close and singular friendship between the two men went on for nearly a year, when Mr.
Sainway was presented to a living in a densely-populated town in the midland counties.

He bade the parishioners of his old place a reluctant farewell and departed, the touching sermon he preached on the occasion being published by the local printer.

Everybody was sorry to lose him; and it was with genuine grief that his Casterbridge congregation learnt later on that soon after his induction to his benefice, during some bitter weather, he had fallen seriously ill of inflammation of the lungs, of which he eventually died.
We now get below the surface of things.

Of all who had known the dead curate, none grieved for him like the man who on his first arrival had called him a 'lath in a sheet.' Mrs.Maumbry had never greatly sympathized with the impressive parson; indeed, she had been secretly glad that he had gone away to better himself.

He had considerably diminished the pleasures of a woman by whom the joys of earth and good company had been appreciated to the full.