When Molly requests a fur coat from her husband, he's not exactly enthusiastic about it. First of all, he tries to persuade his wife that at the forthcoming garden party at the President's house none of the other ladies are likely to be wearing fur coats. So what's the point of Molly wearing one?

And besides, if Molly really wants to impress then why not buy a black costume for the sum of twenty-five guineas? It would certainly be a damn sight cheaper than a fur coat.

Molly is scathing at what appears to be Paddy's cheapness. She points out that if she bought such a costume then she'd have to buy lots of accessories to go with it, which would make the cost a lot more than twenty-five guineas. Eventually, Molly loses patience with her husband and screams that she doesn't want a fur coat after all.

As well as accusing Paddy of being mean, she also says that he has a peasant streak him. By this, she means that he has very limited horizons. This would explain why he cannot see the importance of Molly's having a nice fur coat to wear for the forthcoming garden party. Molly's world, on the other hand, is much bigger than her husband's, especially now that Paddy's going up in the world due to his recent promotion.