And the parson, true to the shepherding instincts, soon began to extend his vigilance to every member of his domestic fold. It seemed to Ursie that his mission was to either catch her bootlaces untied or a not untiable knot in them.

The upper tiers of the foreign ministry were quick to embrace a militant policy.

It suggests nobility—Miranda in Latin means “worthy of admiration” and is similar to mirandous, or miraculous; Priestly suggests the possession of consecrated knowledge.

Ordinary people might find a nasty gram in the mail, a notice from a lender who has not received payment from a borrower.