Gradually they fell into the habit of wondering every morning whether or not they should meet during the coming day; and of congratulating themselves nearly every evening that they had succeeded in so meeting.
As for Christopher, he was extremely and increasingly unhappy, and, it must be admitted, extremely and increasingly cross in consequence.

The fact that he had not the slightest right to control Elisabeth's actions, in no way prevented him from highly disapproving of them; and the fact that he was too proud to express this disapproval in words, in no way prevented him from displaying it in manner.

Elisabeth was wonderfully amiable with him, considering how very cross he was; but are we not all amiable with people toward whom we--in our inner consciousness--know that we are behaving badly?
"I can not make out what you can see in that conceited ass ?" he said to her, when Alan Tremaine had been living at the Moat House for something over a year.
"Perhaps not; making things out never is your strong point," replied Elisabeth suavely.
"But he is such an ass! I'm sure the other evening, when he trotted out his views on the Higher Criticism for your benefit, he made me feel positively ill." "I found it very interesting; and if, as you say, he did it for my benefit, he certainly succeeded in his aim." There were limits to the patience of Elisabeth.
"Well, how women can listen to bosh of that kind I can not imagine! What can it matter to you what he disbelieves or why he disbelieves it?
And it is beastly cheek of him to suppose that it can." "But he is right in supposing it, and it does matter to me.

I like to know how old-fashioned truths accord or do not accord with modern phases of thought." "Modern phases of nonsense, you mean! Well, the old-fashioned truths are good enough for me, and I'll stick to them, if you please, in spite of Mr.Tremaine's overwhelming arguments; and I should advise you to stick to them, too." "Oh! Chris, I wish you wouldn't be so disagreeable." And Elisabeth sighed.

"It is so difficult to talk to you when you are like this." "I'm not disagreeable," replied Christopher mendaciously; "only I can not let you be taken in by a stuck-up fool without trying to open your eyes; I shouldn't be your friend if I could." And he actually believed that this was the case.