strongest passion in life was working on its side?

At the hour when Strong was making his disastrous attempt to relieve
Esther of her scruples, Mr. Hazard was listening to these exasperating
criticisms from his parish. It was his habit to come every day at noon
to pass an hour with Esther, and as he entered the house to-day he met
Strong leaving it, and asked him to spare the time for a talk the same
evening. He wanted Strong's advice and help.

A brace of lovers in lower spirits than Hazard and Esther could not have
been easily found in the city of New York or its vicinity this day, and
the worst part of their depression was that each was determined to hide
it from the other. Esther could not tell him much more than he already
knew, and would not throw away her charm over him by adding to his
anxieties, while he knew that any thing he could tell her would add to
her doubts and perhaps drive her to some sudden and violent step.
Luckily they were too much attached to each other to feel the full
awkwardness of their attitude.

"It is outrageously pleasant to be with you," he said. "One's conscience
revolts against such enjoyment. I wonder whether I should ever get
enough."

"I shall never give you a chance," said she. "I shall be strict with you
and send you off to your work before you can get tired of me."

"You make me shockingly weary of my work," he answered. "At times I wish
I could stop making a labor of religion, and enjoy it a little. How
pleasant it would be to go off to Japan together and fill our
sketch-books with drawings."

This suggestion came on Esther so suddenly that she forgot herself and
gave a little cry of delight. "Oh, are you in earnest?" she said. "It
seems to me that I could crawl and swim there if you would go with me."

Then she saw her mistake. Her outburst of pleasure gave him pain. He was
displeased with himself for speaking so thoughtlessly, for this idea of
escape made both of them conscious of the chasm on whose edge they
stood.

"No, I wish I could be in earnest," he answered, "but I have just begun
work, and there is no vacation for me. You must keep up my courage.
Without your help I shall break down."

If he had thought out in advance some device for distressing her, he
could not have succeeded better. She had just time to realize the full
strength of her love for him, when he thrust the church between them,
and bade her love him for its sake. The delight of wandering throug