"Not that I think your home should be made uncomfortable to you. There is no reason why it should be. At least, I should think not." She spoke with little spasmodic efforts, which, however, did not betray themselves to her companion, who seemed to her to be almost more engaged with Dumpling than with the conversation. It certainly had been through no wish of hers that they were thus talking of his household concerns; but as they were speaking of them, she was forced into a certain amount of hypocrisy. It was a subject on which she could not speak openly.
There was then another hill to be walked up, and Adela thought there would be no more of it. The matter had come up by accident, and would now, probably, drop away. But no. Whether by design, or from chance, or because no other topic presented itself, Arthur went back to the subject, and did so now in a manner that was peculiarly startling to Miss Gauntlet.
"Do you remember my calling once at West Putford, soon after I got the living? It is a long time ago now, and I don't suppose you do remember it."
"Yes, I do; very well."
"And do you remember what I told you then?"
"What was it?" said Adela. It clearly is the duty of a young lady on very many occasions to be somewhat hypocritical.
"If there be any man to whose happiness marriage is more necessary than to that of another, it is a country clergyman."
"Yes, I can believe that. That is, if there be not ladies of his own family living with him."
"I do not know that that makes any difference."
"Oh, yes; it must make a difference. I think that a man must be very wretched who has no one to look after his house."