Third Period Chapter 37 The First Quarrel

"Pray don't speak of that hateful man," she answered, "as your faithful
old friend! He is nothing of the kind. What did you tell me when he
took leave of us after his last visit, and I owned I was glad that he
had gone? You said: 'Faith, my dear, I'm as glad as you are.'"

Her good-natured husband laughed at this little picture of himself.
"Ah, my darling, how many more times am I to make the same confession
to my pretty priest? Try to remember, without more telling, that it's
one of my misfortunes to be a man of many tempers. There are times when
I get tired to death of Mr. Vimpany; and there are times when the
cheery old devil exercises fascinations over me. I declare you're
spoiling the eyebrows that I admire by letting them twist themselves
into a frown! After the trouble I have taken to clear your mind of
prejudice against an unfortunate man, it's disheartening to find you so
hard on the poor fellow's faults and so blind to his virtues."

The time had been when this remonstrance might have influenced his
wife's opinion. She passed it over without notice now.

"Does he come here by your invitation?" she asked.

"How else should he come here, my dear?"

She looked at her husband with doubt too plainly visible in her eyes.
"I wonder what your motive is for sending for him," she said.