Summary
Sergeant Troy stands at the altar of All Saints' church in his military uniform, waiting for his bride while a congregation of curious women watches. As the clock strikes half-past eleven, then three-quarters, then noon, no bride appears. The women begin to whisper, then giggle, as Troy maintains rigid military posture despite the growing humiliation. Finally, he turns and walks out with compressed lips, facing down their stares. Outside, he encounters a distressed young woman who explains her mistake—she went to All Souls' church instead of All Saints', waiting there until quarter to twelve before realizing her error. She suggests they marry tomorrow instead, but Troy, bitter from the public embarrassment, refuses with harsh sarcasm and walks away. This scene reveals the fragility of relationships when pride meets miscommunication. Troy's military bearing can't protect him from personal humiliation, and his reaction shows how shame can make people cruel to those they supposedly love. The woman's simple mistake becomes catastrophic because neither party handles the situation with grace. Hardy uses the church setting and watching congregation to amplify the private drama into public spectacle, showing how social pressure can poison intimate moments. The mechanical church clock becomes almost malicious, marking each moment of Troy's growing embarrassment with mechanical precision.
Coming Up in Chapter 17
Troy heads to the marketplace, where his wounded pride and military swagger might lead him into new complications. Meanwhile, the consequences of this failed wedding will ripple outward in unexpected ways.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
ALL SAINTS’ AND ALL SOULS’ On a week-day morning a small congregation, consisting mainly of women and girls, rose from its knees in the mouldy nave of a church called All Saints’, in the distant barrack-town before-mentioned, at the end of a service without a sermon. They were about to disperse, when a smart footstep, entering the porch and coming up the central passage, arrested their attention. The step echoed with a ring unusual in a church; it was the clink of spurs. Everybody looked. A young cavalry soldier in a red uniform, with the three chevrons of a sergeant upon his sleeve, strode up the aisle, with an embarrassment which was only the more marked by the intense vigour of his step, and by the determination upon his face to show none. A slight flush had mounted his cheek by the time he had run the gauntlet between these women; but, passing on through the chancel arch, he never paused till he came close to the altar railing. Here for a moment he stood alone. The officiating curate, who had not yet doffed his surplice, perceived the new-comer, and followed him to the communion-space. He whispered to the soldier, and then beckoned to the clerk, who in his turn whispered to an elderly woman, apparently his wife, and they also went up the chancel steps. “’Tis a wedding!” murmured some of the women, brightening. “Let’s wait!” The majority again sat down. There was a creaking of machinery behind, and some of the young ones turned their heads. From the interior face of the west wall of the tower projected a little canopy with a quarter-jack and small bell beneath it, the automaton being driven by the same clock machinery that struck the large bell in the tower. Between the tower and the church was a close screen, the door of which was kept shut during services, hiding this grotesque clockwork from sight. At present, however, the door was open, and the egress of the jack, the blows on the bell, and the mannikin’s retreat into the nook again, were visible to many, and audible throughout the church. The jack had struck half-past eleven. “Where’s the woman?” whispered some of the spectators. The young sergeant stood still with the abnormal rigidity of the old pillars around. He faced the south-east, and was as silent as he was still. The silence grew to be a noticeable thing as the minutes went on, and nobody else appeared, and not a soul moved. The rattle of the quarter-jack again from its niche, its blows for three-quarters, its fussy retreat, were almost painfully abrupt, and caused many of the congregation to start palpably. “I wonder where the woman is!” a voice whispered again. There began now that slight shifting of feet, that artificial coughing among several, which betrays a nervous suspense. At length there was a titter. But the soldier never moved. There he stood, his face to the south-east, upright as a column,...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Pride's Price - When Ego Destroys What We Want Most
When publicly embarrassed, we often punish those who love us most rather than face our own vulnerability.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how public humiliation makes us redirect rage at safe targets instead of addressing the real source of our pain.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel embarrassed in public—pause before speaking to anyone who loves you, and ask yourself if you're about to make them pay for your hurt feelings.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Chevrons
V-shaped stripes on a military uniform sleeve that show rank. Three chevrons meant Troy was a sergeant, putting him above regular soldiers but still working class. Military rank was one of the few ways a poor man could gain respect in Victorian society.
Modern Usage:
We still use chevrons on military and police uniforms today to show who's in charge.
Surplice
A white robe worn by church officials during services. The curate hasn't taken his off yet, showing the wedding is happening right after regular church service. Churches were central to Victorian social life and major life events.
Modern Usage:
Like how we still have special clothes for important ceremonies - graduation gowns, wedding dresses, or even business suits for court.
Chancel
The front part of a church where the altar sits, usually separated from where regular people sit. Only clergy and wedding parties could go up there. This physical separation reinforced social hierarchies.
Modern Usage:
Like VIP sections or employee-only areas that show who belongs where.
Barrack-town
A town built around a military base where soldiers lived and trained. These were rough places with lots of young men, drinking, and temporary relationships. Respectable families often looked down on them.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how some people view areas around military bases or college towns today - transient and wild.
Running the gauntlet
Originally a military punishment where someone ran between two rows of soldiers hitting them. Here it means Troy had to walk past all the staring women, feeling judged and exposed.
Modern Usage:
We still say someone 'runs the gauntlet' when they face criticism or judgment from a group.
Public humiliation
Being embarrassed in front of others, especially in a small community where everyone knows your business. In Victorian times, reputation was everything - losing face could destroy your social standing completely.
Modern Usage:
Like going viral for the wrong reasons on social media, or having everyone at work know about your personal drama.
Characters in This Chapter
Sergeant Troy
Romantic lead
Stands waiting at the altar in full military uniform while the bride fails to show up. His pride and embarrassment at being publicly humiliated leads him to cruelly reject her when she finally appears with an explanation.
Modern Equivalent:
The guy who gets so hurt by being stood up that he lashes out instead of listening
The young woman
Absent bride
Makes an innocent mistake by going to the wrong church, then arrives distressed and apologetic. Her simple error becomes catastrophic because of Troy's wounded pride and refusal to forgive.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who shows up late with a reasonable explanation but gets punished anyway
The congregation women
Greek chorus
Represent the community's watchful eyes, turning a private moment into public spectacle. Their whispers and giggles amplify Troy's humiliation and make the situation worse.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworkers who gather around when there's workplace drama, making everything more awkward
The curate
Wedding officiant
The church official ready to perform the ceremony, representing the formal religious and social expectations that make this moment so loaded with meaning.
Modern Equivalent:
The wedding planner or officiant who has to deal with when things go wrong
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The step echoed with a ring unusual in a church; it was the clink of spurs."
Context: Troy enters the church in full military gear
The military sounds in the sacred space show Troy bringing his soldier identity into civilian life. The 'unusual' sound suggests he doesn't quite fit in normal society.
In Today's Words:
His boots clicked on the floor in a way that made everyone look up - he clearly didn't belong there.
"A slight flush had mounted his cheek by the time he had run the gauntlet between these women."
Context: Troy walks past the staring congregation to reach the altar
Shows Troy's vulnerability beneath his military bearing. Even a tough soldier feels embarrassed under public scrutiny, especially from women judging his romantic life.
In Today's Words:
He was blushing hard by the time he got through all those women staring at him.
"There was a creaking of machinery behind, and some clicking as of wheels."
Context: The church clock marking time as Troy waits
The mechanical sounds make time feel hostile and relentless. The clock becomes almost cruel, marking each moment of Troy's growing humiliation with cold precision.
In Today's Words:
The clock kept ticking louder and louder, making every second of waiting feel like torture.
Thematic Threads
Pride
In This Chapter
Troy's military bearing becomes a prison when his personal life goes awry in public
Development
Evolving from earlier displays of masculine confidence to showing pride's destructive potential
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you lash out at family after a bad day at work.
Communication
In This Chapter
A simple mix-up between church names becomes relationship-ending because neither party handles it well
Development
Building on patterns of miscommunication affecting major life decisions
In Your Life:
You see this when small misunderstandings spiral because everyone's too proud to admit confusion.
Social Pressure
In This Chapter
The watching congregation transforms private embarrassment into public spectacle
Development
Continuing theme of how community observation shapes individual behavior
In Your Life:
You feel this whenever you're performing your life for an audience instead of living it authentically.
Vulnerability
In This Chapter
Troy cannot admit his hurt feelings, so he weaponizes them against his bride instead
Development
Introduced here as the hidden cost of emotional armor
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you choose cruelty over admitting you're hurt.
Timing
In This Chapter
The mechanical church clock marks each moment of humiliation with cruel precision
Development
Building on how external timing pressures affect internal emotional states
In Your Life:
You see this when life's schedule doesn't match your emotional readiness for important moments.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What actually happened at the church, and how did both Troy and the woman contribute to the disaster?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Troy punish the woman for an honest mistake instead of just rescheduling the wedding?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen someone take out their embarrassment or frustration on the wrong person? What did that look like?
application • medium - 4
How could Troy have handled his public embarrassment without destroying his relationship?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene reveal about how wounded pride can poison our closest relationships?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Embarrassment Response
Think of the last time you felt publicly embarrassed or criticized. Write down exactly what happened, how it made you feel, and most importantly—who did you interact with next? Did you take those feelings out on someone else, or did you handle them differently? Map the chain reaction from your embarrassment to your next conversation.
Consider:
- •Notice if you became harsher with people who had nothing to do with your embarrassment
- •Consider whether the person you might have snapped at was actually someone who cares about you
- •Think about what you could do differently next time to break this pattern
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone took their bad day out on you. How did it feel to be the target of someone else's displaced anger? What would you want them to understand about the impact of their behavior?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 17: The Moment Everything Changes
The coming pages reveal small actions can have massive unintended consequences, and teach us attraction often blinds us to reality and good judgment. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.