gruffness

Again, in spite of the gruffness, I felt that wistful quality in him.

To prove this he wilfully exaggerated his gruffness and curtness of manner.

Daddy felt that gruffness was not quite so easy as it had seemed.

Under his gruffness there was a lot of sentiment and tenderness.

In her excitement, the gruffness of his tone passed unobserved.

Gruffness had come into his voice, which the other ascribed to excitement.

Barton tried not to be interested, but he could not help it in spite of his gruffness.

"I'll forgive your gruffness if you make yourself intelligible," said she.

The rough harbor-master changed his gruffness to smiles in an instant.

His gruffness and brevity disturbed me more than I cared to confess.