As [Norrell] watched she was seized by a fit of coughing that continued for some moments, and during that time Sir Walter appeared most uncomfortable. He did not look at the young woman (though he looked everywhere else in the room). He picked up a gilt ornament from a little table by his side, turned it over, looked at its underneath, put it down again. Finally he coughed -a brief clearing of the throat as though to suggest that everyone coughed -coughing was the most natural thing in the world -coughing could never, under any circumstances, be cause for alarm.