My dear young lady, we have been loudly lamenting your absence and indisposition." "I have been listening to your lamentations, Doctor," she replied.
"They were certainly loud, and from the frequent bursts of laughter, I judged they were getting hysterical, so I came down." There was quite a party assembled.

The Vicar and Major Buckley were talking earnestly together.

Troubridge and the Doctor were side by side, while next the fire was Mrs.Buckley, with young Sam asleep on her lap, and Miss Thornton sitting quietly beside her.
Having saluted them all, Mary sat down by Mrs.Buckley, and began talking to her.

Then the conversation flowed back into the channel it had been following before her arrival.
"I mean to say, Vicar," said the Major, "that it would be better to throw the four packs into two.

Then you would have less squabbling and bickering about the different boundaries, and you would kill the same number of hares with half the dogs." "And you would throw a dozen men out of work, sir," replied the Vicar, "in this parish and the next, and that is to be considered; and about half the quantity of meat and horseflesh would be consumed, which is another consideration.