He could not for the life of him help taking the scenes of this remote rural existence, which was quite new to him, as though they were the scenes of some comedy of manners.
Presently, however, the vicar became aware that the passage of arms between himself and his spouse was becoming just a little indecorous.
He got up with a 'hem!' intended to put an end to it, and deposited his cup.
'Well, my dear, have it as you please.

It all comes of your determination to have Mrs.Seaton.Why couldn't you just ask the Leyburns and let us enjoy ourselves ?' With this final shaft he departed to see that Jane, the little maid whom Sarah ordered about, had not, in cleaning the study for the evening's festivities, put his last sermon into the waste-paper basket.

His wife looked after him with eyes that spoke unutterable things.
'You would never think,' she said in an agitated voice to Young Elsmere, 'that I had consulted Mr.Thornburgh as to every invitation, that he entirely agreed with me that one _must_ be civil to Mrs.Seaton, considering that she can make anybody's life a burden to them about here that isn't; but it's no use.' And she fell back on her knitting with redoubled energy, her face full of a half-tearful intensity of meaning.

Robert Elsmere restrained a strong inclination to laugh, and set himself instead to distract and console her.

He expressed sympathy with her difficulties, he talked to her about her party, he got from her the names and histories of the guests.