Before he could close the door one of the servants appeared, to claim Mrs.Finch's private ear, on some mysterious domestic emergency.

Nugent facetiously entreated her, as she passed him, to clear her mind of prejudice, and consider the question of infant petticoats on its own merits.

Mr.Finch took offense at this second reference to the subject.

He rose to follow his wife.
"When you are a married man, Mr.Dubourg," said the rector severely, "you will learn to leave the management of an infant in its mother's hands." "There's another mistake!" remarked Nugent, following him with unabated good humour, to the door.

"A married man's idea of another man as a husband, always begins and ends with his idea of himself." He turned to me, as the door closed on Mr.Finch.