Sentence:  It was a joy to snatch some brief <WSD>respite</WSD>, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A brief interval of rest or relief.