'The Son's Veto'

Illustration 2 by A. Forestier:
'He made her swear before a little cross and shrine in his bed-room that she would not wed Edward Hobson without his consent'

In the serial, Sam was called Edward ('Ned').

When preparing the collected edition of the story (1894), Hardy elaborated on the scene near the end where the son, Randolph, makes Sophy swear never to marry Sam. In the serial, he 'made her swear before a little cross and shrine in his bed-room that she would not wed Edward Hobson', but the version of 'The Son's Veto' with which we are now familiar expands this to read, 'taking her before a little cross and altar that he had erected in his bedroom for his private devotions, there bade her kneel, and swear that she would not wed Samuel Hobson'. Making her kneel serves to increase the mock piety of this gesture, and the detail about Randolph's private devotions emphasizes the decidedly private self-devotion which the son has in his wish for her not to marry Sam.

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