Mrs. Dowling returned the salutation with a smile as convincingly benevolent as the ghastly smile upon a Santa Claus face; and then, while Alice passed on, exploded toward her a single compacted breath through tightened lips.

道林夫人以微笑回敬了他的问候，那笑容和圣诞老人​​脸上可怕的笑容一样令人信服。然后，当爱丽丝继续前行时，通过紧闭的双唇向她喷出一股压实的气息。