Two movements of this angry Hercules, and the man was literally whirled out of sight with a rapidity and swiftness almost ludicrous; it was like a trick in a pantomime.

A clatter on the stairs betrayed that he had gone down the first few steps in a wholesale and irregular manner, though he had just managed to keep his feet.
As for Staines, he stood there still lowering like thunder, and his eyes like hot coals; but his wife threw her tender arms around him, and begged him consolingly not to mind.
She was trembling like an aspen.
"Dear me," said Christopher, with a ludicrous change to marked politeness and respect, "I forgot YOU, in my righteous indignation." Next he became uxorious.

"Did they frighten her, a duck?
Sit on my knee, darling, and pull my hair, for not being more considerate--there! there!" This was followed by the whole absurd soothing process, as practised by manly husbands upon quivering and somewhat hysterical wives, and ended with a formal apology.

"You must not think that I am passionate; on the contrary, I am always practising self-government.

My maxim is, Animum rege qui nisi paret imperat, and that means, Make your temper your servant, or else it will be your master.