William tells Kit that he has stayed away due to the illness in the house. In a modernized paraphrase, he basically tells Kit, "I'm sorry, but your family was sick and I didn't want to disturb you (or catch it) so I stayed away." However, this is not the real reason.
The true reason that William stays away is that he is embarrassed when he learns that Kit is accused of being a witch and...
William tells Kit that he has stayed away due to the illness in the house. In a modernized paraphrase, he basically tells Kit, "I'm sorry, but your family was sick and I didn't want to disturb you (or catch it) so I stayed away." However, this is not the real reason.
The true reason that William stays away is that he is embarrassed when he learns that Kit is accused of being a witch and that she is friends with Hannah Tupper, a Quaker. One will notice that he did not come to Kit's rescue upon her accusation or during the trial. William's social standing could have helped Kit had he vouched for her good character, but he did not. He did not want to be associated with her while under accusation and if the charges had not been dropped, it's likely he never would have returned to call.
Kit realizes all of this and does not want her husband telling her who she can and cannot be friends with, and so she breaks off their engagement.
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