Captain Carroll stood back, and the two women, pressing closely together, tottered through the hall towards the front door.
Captain Carroll followed, beaming with delighted malice.

"I hope you will call again, when the ladies are home," he said to Mrs.Van Dorn, whom he recognized as the leader.
She made an inarticulate attempt at "Thank you." She was making for the door, like a scared hare to the entrance of its cover.
"But I have not your names, ladies, that I may inform Mrs.Carroll who has called ?" said Captain Carroll, in his stingingly polite voice.
Both women looked over their shrinking shoulders at him at that.
Suddenly the hideous consequences of it all, the afterclap, sounded in their ears.

That was the end of their fair fame in Banbridge, in their world.

Life for them was over.

Their faces, good, motherly, elderly village faces, after all, were pitiful; the shame in them was a shame to see, so ignominious was it.