Just as I was opening one of the bottles of soda-water, there was a sound of wheels on the drive outside, and a ring at the bell.
I had unfastened the wires of the cork, and could not put the bottle down to run at once to the door.

One of the female servants answered it.

I heard a sort of half scream--then the sound of a footstep that was familiar to me.
My mistress turned round from the piano, and looked me hard in the face.
"William," she said, "do you know that step ?" Before I could answer the door was pushed open, and Mr.James Smith walked into the room.
He had his hat on.

His long hair flowed down under it over the collar of his coat; his bright black eyes, after resting an instant on my mistress, turned to Mr.Meeke.His heavy eyebrows met together, and one of his hands went up to one of his bushy black whiskers, and pulled at it angrily.
"You here again!" he said, advancing a few steps toward the little parson, who sat trembling all over, with his fiddle hugged up in his arms as if it had been a child.
Seeing her villainous husband advance, my mistress moved, too, so as to face him.

He turned round on her at the first step she took, as quick as lightning.
"You shameless woman!" he said.