The story is largely one of sin and redemption. It emphasizes the intolerance of the late Victorian society by drawing from the prejudice and rigidity of Long Stow's inhabitants. The parishioners of the aforementioned village had condemned their parson as worthless upon discovering his affair with a choir girl notwithstanding the fact that he had willingly confessed to his own sin and taken responsibility, setting thus an example of Christian redemption. (Goodreads)
Ernest William Hornung (7 June 1866 – 22 March 1921) was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung was educated at Uppingham School; as a result of poor health he left the school in December 1883 to travel to Sydney, where he stayed for two years. He drew on his Australian experiences as a background when he began writing, initially short stories and later novels.