She had rarely experienced his anger; but the remembrance of these occasions rose before her as the shadowy background of any filial awe she may be said to have had.
Bassett asked Dan to accompany him and Marian to the Country Club for dinner one evening while Harwood still waited for Mrs.Owen's summons to Montgomery.

Picking up Marian at Miss Waring's, they drove out early and indulged in a loitering walk along the towpath of the old canal, not returning to the clubhouse until after seven.

When they had found a table on the veranda, Dan turned his head slightly and saw Thatcher, Allen, and Pettit, the Fraserville editor, lounging in after-dinner ease at a table in a dim corner.
"Why, there's Mr.Thatcher," exclaimed Marian.
"And if that isn't Mr.Pettit! I didn't know he ever broke into a place like this." They all bowed to the trio.

Thatcher waved his hand.
"Mr.Pettit," observed Bassett dryly, "is a man of the world and likely to break in anywhere." His manner betrayed no surprise; he asked Marian to order dinner, and bowed to a tableful of golfers, where an acquaintance was whispering his name to some guests from out of town.
It was the least bit surprising that the Honorable Isaac Pettit should be dining at the Country Club with Mr.Edward Thatcher, and yet it was possible to read too much seriousness into the situation.

Harwood was immensely interested, but he knew it was Bassett's way to betray no trepidation at even such a curious conjunction of planets as this.