Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins — Read

It was still early in the afternoon when the guests at Lady Lundie's lawn-party began to compare notes together in corners, and to agree in arriving at a general conviction that "something was wrong."

Blanche had mysteriously disappeared from her partners in the dance. Lady Lundie had mysteriously abandoned her guests. Blanche had not come back. Lady Lundie had returned with an artificial smile, and a preoccupied manner. She acknowledged that she was "not very well. " The same excuse had been given to account for Blanche's absence -- and, again (some time previously), to explain Miss Silvester's withdrawal from the croquet! A wit among the gentlemen declared it reminded him of declining a verb. "I am not very well; thou art not very well; she is not very well" -- and so on. Sir Patrick too! Only think of the sociable Sir Patrick being in a state of seclusion -- pacing up and down by himself in the loneliest part of the garden. And the servants again! it had even spread to the servants! They were presuming to whisper in corners, like their betters. The housemaids appeared, spasmodically, where housemaids had no business to be. Doors banged and petticoats whisked in the upper regions. Something wrong -- depend upon it, something wrong! "We had much better go away. My dear, order the carriage" -- "Louisa, love, no more dancing; your papa is going. " -- "Good-afternoon, Lady Lundie! " -- "Haw! thanks very much! " -- "So sorry for dear Blanche! " -- "Oh, it's been too charming! " So Society jabbered its poor, nonsensical little jargon, and got itself politely out of the way before the storm came.