He would find an excuse; meanwhile, give him quiet and solitude to digest his bitterness.

He cursed himself for the unworthiness of his thoughts.

What a pass had he come to when he grudged a little _kudos_ to a rival, grudged it churlishly, childishly.

He flung from him the self-reproach.

Other people would wonder at his ungenerousness, and his sulky ill-nature.