“Ah, you think that a little too daring, I expect,” said Mr Brooke with a smile of superiority. “One ought never to be afraid of contrasts, however. I learned that lesson very early in my career, and believe me, I have often used the most startling anachronisms to obtain amazingly successful results.”
“I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about,” said Fielding.
Mr Brooke's gaze rested dreamily on Mrs Lupton, who was just about to enter her car. “That woman,” he said simply. “Don't you feel it? One would resist the obvious temptation of red plush, of course.”
The doctor gave him a look of contemptuous dislike, and moved away.
The Matthews family were drifting out of the Churchyard to seek their various cars by this time, and Owen Crewe was anxiously trying to convey to his wife through the medium of silent grimace that he did not desire to accompany her to her father's house for tea.
Unfortunately Agnes was not very susceptible to messages thus conveyed, and instead of discovering an urgent need for their immediate return to town, she accepted Mrs Lupton's invitation, and said that she knew Owen would love to come. The scowl with which Owen greeted this interpretation of his wishes could not have been misread by the blindest wife, and Agnes at once said: “You don't mind, do you, darling? You did say you were going to take the rest of the day off, didn't you?”
“I want to get out of these clothes,” said Owen, with the air of one who has been taken against his will to a fancy-dress party.
“Oh no, you look so nice in them!” said his wife fondly.
“Well, I'm not like your pansy little cousin Randall, and I feel a fool in them,” said Owen Crewe.
Randall, who had succeeded in annoying both Mrs Lupton and Miss Matthews by pressing his Aunt Zoë's hand feelingly, and remarking in a voice of concern that he feared the painful nature of the occasion would prove too much for her nerves, had moved away to where the Rumbolds were waiting for their car to drive up. “How do you do?” he said. “An impressive sight, is it not?”