. . . but as the Good Book says, for women the only operative commandment is "Get thee to a nunnery!" Such is the lesson of ROMANCE. By the time that Tom meets her, Rita is a wilted rose, sniffed by every Curly, Moe and Larry. While C. D.'s (that is, clergy daughters) are notoriously amoral, wild and woolly, rector's wives must be Pillars of Rectitude. Strumpets and pulpits won't mix, no matter how reformed the former has become. While many if not most congregations will tolerate a pastor having a harlot hussy for a mistress, they won't stand for him sporting a jaded Jezebel as his wife, no matter how retired she may be. Rita learns that confession might be good for the soul, but it cannot fill a hole in the sole of your Sunday shoes. So while Tom may score another round of ROMANCE at a reverends' convention, a convent is the fairest fate for which Rita is in contention.
