Plainly there was some tremendous quarrel between Egbert and his father, for they were barely on speaking terms.
Mr.Saxon threw out occasional inuendoes that caused his son finally to stump from the room.

Mrs.Saxon went about with a cloud of distress on her face, and Quenrede, to whom Ingred applied for enlightenment, promptly and pointedly changed the subject.

It was miserably uncomfortable, for father and son were like two Leyden jars charged with electricity, and ready to let fly at any moment.

It was only the mother's influence that averted a family thunderstorm.

Athelstane, too, seemed in the depths of gloom.