D, "It was only my whim," [The Parson] said; and, after a moment's hesitation: "It was on account of a discovery I made some little time ago, whilst I was hunting up pedigrees for the new county history."
Explanation:
This passage acknowledges the Parson's inclination to refer to Jack Durbeyfield as Sir John in jest. He does so because, in his scouring of the county history, he discovered that Jack belonged to the ancient and knightly family of the d'Urbervilles.
