impatience,

"Harry Hatton, have you yet to learn that when a woman wants to be by
herself she is expecting better company than you can give her?"

For a few moments the young men were silent. Mrs. Hatton took so much
vitality out of the room with her that the level of the atmosphere was
sensibly disturbed, and had to be readjusted before it was comfortably
useful. John sat still during this period. His sight was inward and
consequently his eyes were dropped. Harry was restless, his sight was
outward and his eyes far-seeking. He was the first to speak.

"John," he said, in a tone holding both anger and grief, "John, you
behaved unkindly to me this evening. You either persuaded mother to talk
as she did, or you fell in with her intention and helped her."

"You might speak plainer, Harry."

"I will. Both mother and you, either by accident or agreement, prevented
me naming Lucy. Lucy was the only subject I wanted to talk about, and
you prevented me."

"If I did, it was the wisest and kindest thing I could do."

"For yourselves--but how about me?"

"I was thinking of you only."

"Then you must think of Lucy with me."