The tradespeople he had borne himself loftily towards awakened to the fact that he was the kind of man it was at once safe and wise to dun, and therefore proceeded to make his life a burden to him.

At his clubs he had never been a member surrounded and rejoiced over when he made his appearance.

The time came when he began to fancy that he was rather edged away from, and he endeavoured to sustain his dignity by being sulky and making caustic speeches when he was approached.

Driven occasionally down to Stornham by actual pressure of circumstances, he found the outlook there more embittering still.
Lady Anstruthers laid the bareness of the land before him without any effort to palliate unpleasantness.

If he chose to stalk about and look glum, she could sit still and call his attention to revolting truths which he could not deny.