His wife made a pretence of straightening things upon the table.
'Well ?' he exclaimed irritably.

'It's after five; why isn't dinner served ?' 'It's just coming, Alfred.' Even the average man of a certain age is an alarming creature when dinner delays itself; the literary man in such a moment goes beyond all parallel.

If there be added the fact that he has just returned from a very unsatisfactory interview with a publisher, wife and daughter may indeed regard the situation as appalling.

Marian came in, and at once observed her mother's frightened face.
'Father,' she said, hoping to make a diversion, 'Mr Hinks has sent you his new book, and wishes--' 'Then take Mr Hinks's new book back to him, and tell him that I have quite enough to do without reading tedious trash.

He needn't expect that I'm going to write a notice of it.