The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman

The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman, by H. G. Wells, lists chapters titled, among others, "Introduces Lady Harman", "The Personality of Sir Isaac" and "Sir Isaac as Petruchio". The ninth chapter, headed "MR. BRUMLEY IS TROUBLED BY DIFFICULT IDEAS", pictures "the carefully cleaned and cherished window of Mr. Brumley's mind", which replaces the picture of "a post office pane, smashed and with a large hole knocked clean through it". Mr. Brumley says of "This wretched agitation" that "it seems to unbalance them all", yet he finds it impossible to believe that Lady Harman was seriously unbalanced.

For Mr. Brumley, winning Lady Harman is an idea that "had taken hold of his busy yet rather pointless life" and "had become his directing object". Lady Harman asks Mr. Brumley "You really think you would like us to have that house?", and Mr. Brumley answers "No one better". Just short of violence, Sir Isaac's spirit failed him; he would "glower and bluster, half threaten, and retreat".