In light comedy and farce it is even more desirable than in serious drama to avoid a tame and perfunctory last act.
She had invented a way of meeting them--as if he had been a polite perfunctory poor relation, of distant degree--that made them almost ridiculous in him.
Not till, on the purple divan before the perfunctory bock, he had brought out the words themselves, was he sure, for that matter, that the present would be saved.
It was the Radical Club, but it was as conservative as it could be in its reception of the waif, and it was only in perfunctory kindness that the Club gave him shelter.
I have already spoken of the loss that would probably be sustained in exchanging the interested zeal and keen eye of the responsible capitalist employer for the perfunctory administration of a State officer.
It gives itself to us, just in so far as we give ourselves to it; and it is because our outflow towards things is usually so perfunctory and so languid, that our comprehension of things is so perfunctory and languid too.
Lowering an electric inspection lamp into the compartment, the leading stoker made a perfunctory examination of Jorkler's legitimate handiwork.
The interview, having lasted for nearly forty minutes, was followed by a medical examination of a perfunctory nature.
Aside from theperfunctory inquiries that Edward Lamb had made, no one ever took the trouble to question into the promoter's past record.
For the regulation fee, the Secretary of State, after some perfunctory inquiries, permitted the "Trust Company" to increase its capitalization to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
But he had no hesitation in doing all manner of things without more than a perfunctory consultation with the Vicar, and the Vicar, though always ready to be saved trouble, much resented the churchwarden's managing ways.
Charlemagne proposed all measures, the higher magnates discussed them with him, and the lower ones gave a perfunctory sanction to acts already determined upon.
For all practical purposes, however, he may be regarded as occupying the emperor's position, since all that was lacking was the performance of a more or less perfunctory ceremony.
He came to her door immediately, and they faced each other, his perfunctory greeting arrested by her look.
Oh, thank you, but--" Billy began in perfunctory regret.
Great pleasure to do anything for you, Rachael," the newcomer said promptly and smilingly with the almost perfunctory courtesy that was a part of Warren Gregory's stock in trade.
But Warren, beyond paternal greetings at breakfast, and an occasional perfunctory query as to their health, made no attempt to enter into their lives.
Then she observed with a perfunctory politeness: "Oh, you mustn't say that.
Vohrenlorf visited me once or twice a week, and exercised a perfunctory superintendence.
In days of health Krak had exacted, morning and evening, a formal and perfunctory peck; if I gave her no more now she looked aggrieved, and my mother distressed.
On the other hand, I was at times greatly repelled by perfunctory performances of the service, both Protestant and Catholic.
It was difficult to imagine that they believed really in the tremendous doctrine involved in the mass when one saw them taking snuff in the midst of the most solemn prayers, and going through the whole in the most perfunctory fashion.
Miranda, to whom Lady Donnisthorpe was looking, made the perfunctory dip of the head and smiled the perfunctory smile, and Charnock--why in the world did he not move or speak?
I hope you'll be able to sleep in a common or garden bed, Marmaduke," said Peggy, and kissed him a perfunctory good night.
On bidding him good night, she had kissed him in the most perfunctory manner--merely the cousinly peck of a dozen years ago--and had given no thought to the fact that he was driving home in an open car without an overcoat.
How perfunctory was the performance of his duties by the ordinary may be gathered from the following chapter.
More often he was careless and indifferent, satisfied to earn his salary by the slightest and mostperfunctory discharge of his sacred duties.
And if the memory of Michael Lanyard must needs wear the stigma of brutal murder, he need not repine in his oblivion, since through this perfunctory decease the Lone Wolf would gain a freedom even greater than before.
This work is necessarily perfunctory because the pupil knows he is not giving information to anybody.
He ceased reading and there was a perfunctory grunt of approval from round the circle.
The clerk made the ordinary perfunctory inquiry as to what their verdict was.
A permanent chief of staff might be an obstructionist or might become too perfunctory in compliance.
The organization thus outlined would preclude the necessity for the usual perfunctory approval of requisitions by the general manager.
To these suppositions I would add a few more suggestions regarding the evolution of shape-contemplation out of man's perfunctory and semi-automatic seeing of "Things.
In the home of the bridegroom, preparations for the event were scant and of a perfunctory nature.
Where she had been in the habit of writing twice and even three times a week," went on Mr. Thorpe, "she was content to set herself to the task of dropping you a perfunctory letter once in a fortnight.
It is good to see you again, Braden," she said, with the bland, perfunctory parting of the lips that stands for a smile with women of her class.
It had settled back, lost to most concern beyond a perfunctory colonial administration, into a region of agriculture, affected only indirectly by, and affecting not at all, the universal upheaval elsewhere.
He had extended his hand, but partially withdrew it, not sure how even such a perfunctory act of friendliness might be received.
Even in the tone given to a perfunctory salutation like this, the captain differentiated between Regular and Come-Outer.
Look and word, in fact, were alike instinctively measured, and the kindness perfunctory if not exactly condescending.
It stood in its own park, a mile and more from the vast flint church in which a handful of people were lost at its two perfunctory services a week.
At Heriot's corner, old Bob himself was standing in conversation with Mr. Haigh, the two of them mechanically returning the no less perfunctory salutes of the passing stream.
