Paul, sensitive as far as it is given man to be, saw that if he had obeyed her and left his John Bull wisdom on the doorstep, he would have regretted it.

Obviously she was punishing him; perhaps herself; perhaps both of them.

She kept a wary, appraising eye on him, as they talked their commonplaces.

Paul's attitude had the correctness of a young diplomatist paying a first formal call.

It was only when he rose to go that her glance softened.