Quotation from: The Arrow of Gold

Written by: Joseph Conrad

I pointed out to her that this was not a matter of splendour or
comfort but of "convenances." She pricked up her ears at that word
which probably she had never heard before; but with woman's uncanny
intuition I believe she understood perfectly what I meant. Her air
of saintly patience became so pronounced that with my own poor
intuition I perceived that she was raging at me inwardly. Her
weather-tanned complexion, already affected by her confined life,
took on an extraordinary clayey aspect which reminded me of a
strange head painted by El Greco which my friend Prax had hung on
one of his walls and used to rail at; yet not without a certain
respect.