Altogether the scene was very affecting, and Cheesacre was driven to madness.

They were the very words that he had intended to speak himself.
"I hate all this kind of thing," he said to Kate.

"It's so fulsome." "After-dinner speeches never mean anything," said Kate.
At last, when Bellfield had come to an end of praising Mrs Greenow, he told the guests that he wished to join his friend Mr Cheesacre in the toast, the more so as it could hardly be hoped that Mrs Greenow would herself rise to return thanks.

There was no better fellow than his friend Cheesacre, whom he had known for he would not say how many years.

He was quite sure they would all have the most sincere pleasure in joining the health of Mr Cheesacre with that of Mrs Greenow.