A sensitive creature!" "Dear me! I was not aware that there was a painting behind that panel; were you ?" "No; how should I?
Some eccentricity in one of the Earl's family long ago, I suppose." "How very painful! Pray shut it up." "Was the door locked?
It is very mysterious.

It must be the spirits." "But there is no medium present." "How do you know that?
We must conclude that there is, when such things happen." "Oh, the door was not locked; it was probably the sudden vibration from the piano that sent it open." This conclusion came from Mr.Gascoigne, who begged Miss Merry if possible to get the key.

But this readiness to explain the mystery was thought by Mrs.Vulcany unbecoming in a clergyman, and she observed in an undertone that Mr.Gascoigne was always a little too worldly for her taste.

However, the key was produced, and the rector turned it in the lock with an emphasis rather offensively rationalizing--as who should say, "it will not start open again"-- putting the key in his pocket as a security.
However, Gwendolen soon reappeared, showing her usual spirits, and evidently determined to ignore as far as she could the striking change she had made in the part of Hermione.
But when Klesmer said to her, "We have to thank you for devising a perfect climax: you could not have chosen a finer bit of _plastik_," there was a flush of pleasure in her face.

She liked to accept as a belief what was really no more than delicate feigning.