"Mrs. Adair… was naturally, behind her pale and placid countenance, a woman of tortuous and intriguing mind. She preferred to look through the keyhole even when she could walk straight in at the door; and knowledge which could be gained by a little manoeuvring was always more desirable and precious in her eyes than any information which a simple question would elicit. She avoided, indeed, the direct question on a perverted sort of principle, and she thought a day very well spent if at the close of it she had outwitted a companion into telling her spontaneously some trivial and unimportant piece of news which a straightforward request would have at once secured for her at breakfast time."