How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
For a few moments she stood steadily watching the miners as they passed along the railway: then she turned towards the brook course. Her face was calm and set, her mouth was closed with disillusionment. (1.4)
This is our first introduction to Elizabeth. From the get go, she does not seem happy.
Quote #2
"I think it is soon enough," she replied.
At her brief censure the little man made an impatient gesture, and said coaxingly, yet with dangerous coldness: "Well, what's a man to do? It's no sort of life for a man of my years, to sit at my own hearth like a stranger. And if I'm going to marry again it may as well be soon as late—what does it matter to anybody?" (1.23-25)
Geez, tension much? Sounds like Elizabeth's dad hasn't been enjoying single life. However, we're not sure that "what's a man to do?" and "may as well be soon as late" are rousing declarations of passion for his future bride . . .
Quote #3
When she rose her anger was evident in the stern unbending of her head. She looked at the pudding in the fender, and broke out:
"It is a scandalous thing as a man can't even come home to his dinner! If it's crozzled up to a cinder I don't see why I should care. Past his very door he goes to get to a public-house, and here I sit with his dinner waiting for him—." (1.58-59)
Here, Elizabeth's temper gets the best of her, and she vents all the frustration and anger that has been simmering beneath the surface in front of the children. Hey, we get it—if we had made dinner for someone who wasn't coming home (and didn't let us know) and who did that kind of thing frequently, we'd be grumpy, too (insofar as a Shmooper can ever get grumpy).