midday
He had been in the East , where the admired type was her own -- refined , ladylike , the woman of the dainty appearance and manners and tastes . A brief undisturbed exposure to her charms and Susan would seem coarse and countrified to him . There was no denying that Susan had style , but it was fully effective only when applied to a sunny fairy-like beauty such as hers . But at midday , when Susan came in with Warham , Ruth 's jealousy opened all her inward-bleeding wounds again . Susan 's merry eyes , her laughing mouth , her funny way of saying even commonplace things -- how could quiet , unobtrusive , ladylike charms such as Ruth 's have a chance if Susan were about ? She waited , silent and anxious , while her mother was having the talk with her father in the sitting-room . Warham , mere man , was amused by his wife 's scheming .