When Mr.Flexen had supposed that he would remain silent for a fortnight, he had overestimated both his modesty and his reticence.
Later in the day the village was further upset by the behaviour of James Hutchings himself.

He came into the "Bull and Gate" with an easy air, showed himself but little more civil than usual, and told the landlord that he had just arranged that the parson should publish the banns of his marriage with Elizabeth Twitcher on the following Sunday.

The village was staggered.

This was not the way in which it expected a man who would presently be tried and hanged for murder to behave.
In all fairness to James Hutchings, it must be said that he would not have acted with this decision of his own accord.

Elizabeth had bidden him to it, urging that a bold front was half the battle.