Abruptness

Tom was surprised by Mary's abruptness.

Some people can see their own death coming and can feel it coming, while some others are taken aback by its abruptness.

So be neither diffuse with damp and slippery words nor blunt the edge of your discourse by abruptness of style. Study in particular the purest period of style, that those who move only to Ciceronian rhythm call you not a Celt.