How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"It's his doing," he said; "if there's been any crime, it's at his door, not at hers. He taught her to deceive—he deceived me first. Let 'em put him on his trial—let him stand in court beside her, and I'll tell 'em how he got hold of her heart, and 'ticed her t' evil, and then lied to me. Is he to go free, while they lay all the punishment on her... so weak and young?"
The image called up by these last words gave a new direction to poor Adam's maddened feelings. He was silent, looking at the corner of the room as if he saw something there. Then he burst out again, in a tone of appealing anguish, "I can't bear it... O God, it's too hard to lay upon me—it's too hard to think she's wicked." (39.35-36)
These words are directed at Mr. Irwine, and are Adam's attempt to re-assign blame for Hetty's crime. Because Arthur knowingly "taught her to deceive," he should be made to pay for Hetty's crimes. Hetty was just his dupe.
Quote #8
He was silent again for a few moments, and then he said, with fierce abruptness, "I'll go to him—I'll bring him back—I'll make him go and look at her in her misery—he shall look at her till he can't forget it—it shall follow him night and day—as long as he lives it shall follow him—he shan't escape wi' lies this time—I'll fetch him, I'll drag him myself."
In the act of going towards the door, Adam paused automatically and looked about for his hat, quite unconscious where he was or who was present with him. Mr. Irwine had followed him, and now took him by the arm, saying, in a quiet but decided tone, "No, Adam, no; I'm sure you will wish to stay and see what good can be done for her, instead of going on a useless errand of vengeance. The punishment will surely fall without your aid." (39.39-40)
This scene involves a clash of temperaments: Adam's stern and passionate personality versus Mr. Irwine's spirit of gentility and gentleness. (Any bets on who wins out?) And the two characters take two different approaches to Arthur's faults. Adam seeks active vengeance, while Mr. Irwine believes that the natural course of events will be vengeance enough. In other words, Adam's approach would make a much cooler Cohn Brothers movie.
Quote #9
"Guilty."
It was the verdict every one expected, but there was a sigh of disappointment from some hearts that it was followed by no recommendation to mercy. Still the sympathy of the court was not with the prisoner. The unnaturalness of her crime stood out the more harshly by the side of her hard immovability and obstinate silence. Even the verdict, to distant eyes, had not appeared to move her, but those who were near saw her trembling. (43.16-17)
The crowd that witnesses Hetty's sentencing reacts strongly, yet ambivalently, to her crime. In the court at large, the desire for mercy is accompanied by discomfort about Hetty's lack of emotion. Both good reactions, right?