Gabriel rose as the girl did and then the maid approached. Her words shocked him, leaving Gabriel to wonder once again at the things he had witnessed and heard of in this town. Before coming here, he had been a priest in a tiny village, where the biggest news was that Miss Wakefield was engaged to Mr. Adams, and Mrs. Green had stolen Mrs. Price's chicken. "I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, miss..." he said in a startled tone.