Mrs.Stowe entered them at her own free will, and as she was always softly slippered and generally full of animal spirits, she was able to deal in surprises, and she liked to do it.

She would slip up behind a person who was deep in dreams and musings and fetch a war-whoop that would jump that person out of his clothes.

And she had other moods.

Sometimes we would hear gentle music in the drawing-room and would find her there at the piano singing ancient and melancholy songs with infinitely touching effect.
Her husband, old Professor Stowe, was a picturesque figure.

He wore a broad slouch hat.