He ought never to have intruded; it was odious, unpardonable; he had no business whatever to put himself in her way! Would she please understand that it was an accident?
It should not happen again.

He quite understood that she could not regard him with friendliness.

And so on.

He had never so lost his self-possession.
Meanwhile Marcella's brows contracted.

She took his excuses as a fresh offence.
"You mean, I suppose, that I have no right to ask such questions!" she cried; "that I am not behaving like a lady--as one of your relations would?
Well, I dare say! I was not brought up like that.