While occupied in this way he began to think of his family and the faces they would make if they could see him at this moment. He had had a letter from his father and sister the day before, on the occasion of his engagement; that is to say, he had received a curt acknowledgment of his "astounding announcement," nothing more. Hansine was not even mentioned, nor a single question asked about her.
Although he had never expected to be understood in that quarter, his father's coldness had surprised and saddened him. So they had drifted as far apart as this! He quite understood that they wished to shew by their silence, that from this time they looked upon him as past help and hopelessly lost; and that they did not wish in any way to be mixed up with his new connexions. He saw that they looked upon his engagement as a sort of social suicide, which was not less disgraceful to the respected Hansted family than his poor mother's had been. So he did not doubt that from this time his name would also be blotted out from the family recollection.
When Emanuel shortly after stepped out to wash his hands at the pump in the yard, he saw a stout clerical-looking man climbing the steps to the entrance with the help of a stick.
