He remembered now that he had intended to plead Robert's cause, but could think of nothing to say except-- "Robert is--Robert really is an awfully good man." This he said so suddenly and so earnestly looking at her, that she was betrayed into an unintended answer.
"Is he ?" And then in a moment she smiled on him again, and said warmly, "He certainly is if you say that; a brother knows as no one else can." She was treating him like a boy again.

He did not like it now because he had felt the sweetness of having her at an advantage.

There are some men who, when they see what they want, stretch out their hands to take it with no more complexity of thought than a baby has when it reaches for a toy.

At other times Alec Trenholme might consider; just then he only knew that he wanted to talk longer with this stately girl who was now retiring.

He arrested her steps by making a random dash at the first question that might detain her.
There was much that, had he known his own mind clearly and how to express it, he would have liked to say to her.