Every muscle was taut and braced as if to resist some sudden attack from outside.

For the moment it seemed as if the attack were about to be directed against his body, and his brain thus was on the alert, but without understanding.

Finding himself, after a few minutes, no longer under observation, and no attack delivered, he slackened his pace, the pain spread all through him, took possession of every governing seat, and met with scarcely any resistance from powers exhausted by their first effort at defence.

He took his way languidly along the river embankment, away from home rather than towards it.

The world had him at its mercy.