The housekeeper and her husband were both of that decent phlegmatic order of people, to whom one may at any time safely communicate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one's ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation, and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment.
La femme de charge et son mari appartenaient à cette classe de gens discrets et réservés auxquels on peut toujours communiquer une nouvelle importante sans crainte d'avoir les oreilles percées par des exclamations aiguës, ni d'avoir à supporter un torrent de surprises.