His world was harsh, crude, a world of men only--men who were to be combatted, opposed--his hand was against nearly every one of them.

Women he distrusted with the instinctive distrust of the overgrown schoolboy.

Now, at length, a young woman had come into his life.

Promptly he was struck with discomfiture, annoyed almost beyond endurance, harassed, bedevilled, excited, made angry and exasperated.

He was suspicious of the woman, yet desired her, totally ignorant of how to approach her, hating the sex, yet drawn to the individual, confusing the two emotions, sometimes even hating Hilma as a result of this confusion, but at all times disturbed, vexed, irritated beyond power of expression.
At length, Annixter cast his cigar from him and plunged again into the work of the day.