G. A. Birmingham

“ Mendel. "We shall have to turn your smoking-room into a study, Ronald."
"Sanctum is the proper word," said Minnie. "Bessie Langworthy's husband has a sanctum, not a study."
"I don't see," said Ronald, "how my smoking-room can be turned into a sanctuary without going to enormous expense."
"That remark," said Minnie, "shows how little you know about the clergy. A sanctum is as different as possible from a sanctuary. If you'd ever been inside Bessie Langworthy's husband's sanctum, you'd see the absurdity of what you say."
Mrs. Mendel interposed to save her husband's dignity. ”

“ Ronald was out on the river. Mrs. Mendel and Minnie were in the drawing-room waiting for afternoon tea to be brought to them. The bishop was a young man, as bishops go. He did not look more than forty-five, but his face was lean and heavily lined. He gave Mrs. Mendel the impression of being a man of severe integrity, very little inclined to human weaknesses. ”

“ Bessie Langworthy's husband——"
"Bessie Langworthy's husband be hanged!"
"If you swear while the bishop's here, Ronald," said Minnie, "you'll shock him. I must also have a pound of tobacco for the sanctum; not cigars. Bishops don't smoke cigars. The reason is that it doesn't do for them to appear opulent, especially nowadays when people are so down on the Church. I'll have a box of my own cigarettes on the chimney- piece in case he doesn't care for a pipe."
"That reminds me," said Ronald, "that I can't have you smoking cigarettes all over the house while he's here." ”