My idiotic mumble seemed to please him.

He cut it short by saying, with courteous placidity that argued an immense power of self-control or else a wonderful elasticity of spirits--"Altogether my mistake." I marvelled greatly at this expression: he might have been alluding to some trifling occurrence.
Hadn't he understood its deplorable meaning?
"You may well forgive me," he continued, and went on a little moodily, "All these staring people in court seemed such fools that--that it might have been as I supposed." 'This opened suddenly a new view of him to my wonder.

I looked at him curiously and met his unabashed and impenetrable eyes.

"I can't put up with this kind of thing," he said, very simply, "and I don't mean to.

In court it's different; I've got to stand that--and I can do it too." 'I don't pretend I understood him.