He knew perfectly well what he wished to say, and had arranged not only the substance, but the order in which he was to say it.

Now, however, that he was alone with her, not only did he find the difficulty of speaking almost insurmountable, but he was aware that he was angry with her for thus disturbing him, and casting, as it was so easy for a person of her advantages to do, these phantoms and pitfalls across his path.

He was determined that he would question her as severely as he would question himself; and make them both, once and for all, either justify her dominance or renounce it.

But the longer they walked thus alone, the more he was disturbed by the sense of her actual presence.

Her skirt blew; the feathers in her hat waved; sometimes he saw her a step or two ahead of him, or had to wait for her to catch him up.
The silence was prolonged, and at length drew her attention to him.
First she was annoyed that there was no cab to free her from his company; then she recalled vaguely something that Mary had said to make her think ill of him; she could not remember what, but the recollection, combined with his masterful ways--why did he walk so fast down this side street ?--made her more and more conscious of a person of marked, though disagreeable, force by her side.