Our previous meeting had ended almost in a fight.

We had been fighting by proxy ever since.

I was prepared for more trouble, for haughty condescension, for perfunctory apology, for almost anything except what happened.

His next remark might have been addressed to an acquaintance upon whom he had casually dropped in for a friendly call.
"That's a good looking gun you've got there," he observed.

"Let's see it." I was too astonished to answer.