Final answer:
The question lacks sufficient context to accurately determine what Robert and the narrator were doing when the wife returned, as it does not specify which text these characters belong to.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question seems to be asking about a specific moment in a story, but there isn't enough context provided to accurately determine which characters are being referred to with 'Robert' and the 'narrator', nor what story or book these characters are from.
Without a clear reference to the text in question, it is not possible to provide a factually accurate response. The excerpts provided are from various texts and do not collectively inform about a moment involving Robert and the narrator.