he was always outnumbered ; if he tried to be adamant , said that lucy could not go out because there were exams ahead , or because she had already been out too often that week , then lucy would rant and his wife would whine and he would gradually be worn into submission ; lucy would get her way , smiling with a triumph which was disrespectful , and his wife would tell him , once the girl had swaggered off , that he was being a little too hard on the poor thing .