Sentence:  “A tight little craft,” was Austin's invariable comment on the matron;nb.... &para; Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his <WSD>stiff</WSD>, retroussé moustache. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.