Answer:
This says Mrs. White has a sense of reason that Mr. White may lack. She doesn't have a competitive sense that her husband has.
Step-by-step explanation:
"Father and son were at chess, the former, who possesses ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.
"Never mind, dear," said his wife soothingly; "perhaps you'll win the next one."