Still, she argued, Lady Gertrude would only be her mother-in-law--and she was sure she could "manage" Roger.

There is a somewhat pathetic element in the way in which so many people light-heartedly enter into marriage, the man confident in his ability to "mould" his wife, the woman never doubting her power to "manage" him.

It all seems quite simple during the adaptable period of engagement, when romance spreads a veil of glamour over the two people concerned, effectually concealing for the time being the wide gulf of temperament that lies between them.

It is only after the knot has been tied that the unlooked-for difficulties of managing and moulding present themselves.
Nan found it increasingly difficult to sustain her side of the conversation with Lady Gertrude.

The latter's old-fashioned views clashed violently with her own modern ones, and there seemed to be no mutual ground upon which they could meet.