Lamb to the slaughterhouse

Mary loved her husband because she would patiently wait for his return after
work glancing at the clock every now and then. She used to kiss him as he
came in. she enjoyed the company of her husband after the long hours of
loneliness in the house. She loved to luxuriate in the presence of him and felt
his presence as a sunbather feels the sun. She loved the way he sat in the
chair. The way he came in a door and his mouth, eyes and every movement
and keeps calm until he finishes the drink. She is very kind and considerate
and tries to satisfy his needs in all the possible way. She repeatedly insists that
she would prepare food for him, as she cannot bear the thought of letting him
hungry. When she returned from the grocers and sees the dead body of her
husband, she couldn’t control her tears. It was not a pretention. This shows
that her love was genuine.

What is the first sign of conflict between Mary Maloney and her
husband? How does Mary respond? Quote from the text.

Ans. The first sign of conflict is when Mary’s husband refuses supper, and this
makes Mary feel “uneasy” because he is disrupting a well-established ritual.
When he tells her tersely to “sit down”, she begins to be frightened. “She
lowered herself back slowly into the chair, watching him all the time with those
large, bewildered eyes.”