How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #7
Did humans do this all the time? What a colossal waste of energy. Sex or no sex, he'd much rather be somewhere else. (26.8)
Hm. Now we're wondering how much time we spend on our relationships. (Oh and by "we" we don't mean Shmoop, because who needs sex when you have great works of literature? Are we right? Guys?)
Quote #8
"Never mind. Tea and cakes have been served, and we're all settling down to some nice Haydn quartets. Even the children are listening. Very good for the savage beast, you know." Breast, he thought, averting his eyes. Savage breast. (30.12)
(1) The actual phrase is "Music has charms to soothe the savage breast," but it's often misquoted as "savage beast." So, yeah, Bernard is just correcting Laura here. But (2) it also reminds us that vicars are people, too—and this particular one seems to have had a thing for Laura once upon a time.
Quote #9
Of course he did. Lucy attracted a great deal of interest—what mother could possibly remain ignorant of that fact? Laura was somewhat disturbed by her daughter's wanton ability to arouse. So different from her own tidy sexuality. (30.43)
Laura calls her own sexuality "tidy" and Lucy's "wanton." We guess just like everything else about her, Laura's sexuality stays in nice, clean, predetermined lines.