1.  There was complete silence.

2.  There was an ominous silence.

3.  There was a short, ominous silence.

4.  It was less a request than a command.

5.  A baby born out of wedlock was a great sin, then, and a huge embarrassment to the family.

6.  A baby born out of wedlock was a horrible sin for which there was no forgiveness.

7.  A baggy knee was enough to excite the swains.

8.  A basic assumption was that they would be the experts on everything.