He never used to be so irritable.

It is all very tiresome.

It is quite telling on my health." She looked the picture of health.
Bernardine gasped; and Mrs.Reffold continued: "His grumbling this afternoon has been incessant; so much so that he himself was ashamed, and asked me to forgive him.

You heard him, didn't you ?" "Yes, I heard him," Bernardine said.
"And of course I forgave him at once," Mrs.Reffold said piously.
"Naturally one would do that, but the vexation remains all the same." "Can these things be ?" thought Bernardine to herself.
"He spoke in a most ridiculous way," she went on: "it certainly is not encouraging for me to spend another afternoon with him.

I shall go sledging to-morrow." "You generally do go sledging, don't you ?" Bernardine asked mildly.
Mrs.Reffold looked at her suspiciously.