With this gloomy shade before him good Mr. Hooper walked onward at a slow and quiet pace , stooping somewhat and looking on the ground , as is customary with abstracted men , yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners who still waited on the meeting-house steps . But so wonder-struck were they that his greeting hardly met with a return . `` I ca n't really feel as if good Mr. Hooper 's face was behind that piece of crape , '' said the sexton . `` I do n't like it , '' muttered an old woman as she hobbled into the meeting-house . `` He has changed himself into something awful only by hiding his face . '' `` Our parson has gone mad ! '' cried Goodman Gray , following him across the threshold . A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meeting-house and set all the congregation astir . Few could refrain from twisting their heads toward the door ; many stood upright and turned directly about ; while several little boys clambered upon the seats , and came down again with a terrible racket . There was a general bustle , a rustling of the women 's gowns and shuffling of the men 's feet , greatly at variance with that hushed repose which should attend the entrance of the minister . But Mr. Hooper appeared not to notice the perturbation of his people . He entered with an almost noiseless step , bent his head mildly to the pews on each side and bowed as he passed his oldest parishioner , a white-haired great-grandsire , who occupied an arm-chair in the centre of the aisle . It was strange to observe how slowly this venerable man became conscious of something singular in the appearance of his pastor . He seemed not fully to partake of the prevailing wonder till Mr. Hooper had ascended the stairs and showed himself in the pulpit , face to face with his congregation except for the black veil . That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn . It shook with his measured breath as he gave out the psalm , it threw its obscurity between him and the holy page as he read the Scriptures , and while he prayed the veil lay heavily on his uplifted countenance . Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing ? Such was the effect of this simple piece of crape that more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meeting-house . Yet perhaps the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful a sight to the minister as his black veil to them . Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher , but not an energetic one : he strove to win his people heavenward by mild , persuasive influences rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the word .
The sermon which he now delivered was marked XXXXX the same characteristics of style and manner as the general series of his pulpit oratory , but there was something either in the sentiment of the discourse itself or in the imagination of the auditors which made it greatly the most powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor 's lips .
across as before between by of on that toward upon