It revived the recent vast laugh and
concentrated it upon Pinkerton; and Harkness's election was a walk-over.
Within twenty-four hours after the Richardses had received their cheques
their consciences were quieting down, discouraged; the old couple were
learning to reconcile themselves to the sin which they had committed. But
they were to learn, now, that a sin takes on new and real terrors when
there seems a chance that it is going to be found out. This gives it a
fresh and most substantial and important aspect. At church the morning
sermon was of the usual pattern; it was the same old things said in the
same old way; they had heard them a thousand times and found them
innocuous, next to meaningless, and easy to sleep under; but now it was
different: the sermon seemed to bristle with accusations; it seemed aimed
straight and specially at people who were concealing deadly sins. After
church they got away from the mob of congratulators as soon as they
could, and hurried homeward, chilled to the bone at they did not know
what--vague, shadowy, indefinite fears. And by chance they caught a
glimpse of Mr. Burgess as he turned a corner.
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