It was a room surrounded by large cupboards and shelves of old wood; above these the walls were covered with dusty and torn pictures, copies of Flemish paintings that the canons had relegated to this corner; round the room were placed in line the ancient armchairs of the church, some of Spanish workmanship, austere, with straight lines and ravelled coverings, others of Greek design with curved feet inlaid with ivory.

So wonderful are Browning's resources in casuistry, and so cunningly does he ravel the intricate motives at play in this tragedy and lay bare the secrets of the heart, that the interest increases at each repetition of the tale.

The way he gnawed at his red mustache showed how misadventure had raveled his nerve.

And Keturah raveled out her stockin's and gin back the yarn, I got off with the awfulest talkin' to I ever had, and warnin's never, never to trifle in such a heedless and wicked way with Public Matters and the sacred rights of the people.