By temper, he leaned to the old way of regarding them; women militant, women in the public eye, were on the whole unpleasing to him.

But he was satisfied with an occasional laugh at these extravagances, and heard with tolerable patience anyone who pleaded the cause of female emancipation.
In brief, women lay beyond the circle of his interests.
The explanation of his abrupt withdrawal on Lashmar's appearance was, simply, that he all at once imagined a private understanding between his political friend and Miss Tomalin.

The possibility had not hitherto occurred to him: he had given too little thought to Lady Ogram's niece.
Now, of a sudden, it flashed upon him that Lashmar was seeking the girl in marriage, perhaps had already won her favour.

The thought that Lashmar might perchance regard him as a rival pricked his pride; not for a moment could he rest under that misconstruction.

He left the field clear, and drew breath like a man who has shaken off an embarrassment.
On the way home he saw how natural it was that such a man as Lashmar should woo Miss Tomalin.