“The trouble is,” she said, “you’ve written in the wrong strain—sounded
the wrong note.”
“That,” said Toby, “I can entirely believe. When one’s got to convey
some singularly distasteful intelligence to a woman who invariably
receives good tidings, first, as a personal affront, and, secondly, as
evidence of the messenger’s mental deficiency, it is extremely easy to
sound the wrong note.”