It was a man's affair, left to the men, and the appearance there of the other sex would have been greeted with remark and levity.

Elgin, as we know, was more sophisticated in every way, plenty of ladies attended political meetings in the Drill Shed, where seats as likely as not would be reserved for them; plenty of handkerchiefs waved there for the encouragement of the hero of the evening.

They did not kiss him; British phlegm, so far, had stayed that demonstration at the southern border.
The ladies of Elgin, however, drew the line somewhere, drew it at country meetings.

Mrs Farquharson went with her husband because, since his state of health had handed him over to her more than ever, she saw it a part of her wifely duty.

His retirement had been decided upon for the spring, but she would be on hand to retire him at any earlier moment should the necessity arise.