Some time passed before either spoke, and it was Horace's voice which first made itself heard.
'Nancy, don't you think it's about time we began to behave firmly ?' 'It depends what you mean by firmness,' she answered in an absent tone.
'We're old enough to judge for ourselves.' 'I am, no doubt.

But I'm not so sure about you.' 'Oh, all right.

Then we won't talk about it.' Another quarter of an hour went by.

The room was in twilight.

There came a knock at the door, and Mary Woodruff, a wax-taper in her hand, entered to light the gas.