Scragg looked like a bull-dog waiting for an occasion to bark; Mrs.Scragg sat with her lips closely compressed and her head partly turned away, so as to keep her eyes out of the line of vision with Mrs.Grimes's face; while Mrs.Grimes gave an occasional glance of contempt towards the lady with whom she had had a "tiff." Barling and Mason, observing all this, and enjoying it, were generally the first to break the reigning silence; and this was usually done by addressing some remark to Scragg, for no other reason, it seemed, than to hear his growling reply.

Usually, they succeeded in drawing him into an argument, when they would goad him until he became angry; a species of irritation in which they never suffered themselves to indulge.

As for Mr.Grimes, he was a man of few words.

When spoken to, he would reply; but he never made conversation.

The only man who really behaved like a gentleman was Mr.Burton; and the contrast seen in him naturally prepossessed the family in his favour.
The first three months' experience in taking boarders was enough to make the heart of Mrs.Darlington sick.