These, of course, were selfish reflections; but my position was a trying one.

The question was, what was the proper thing for me to do?
I told myself that my brother might come back at any moment, and all I thought of after that was what I should say to him.

I had an idea that I ought to congratulate him, but it seemed a brutal thing to do.

I had not made up my mind when I heard him coming down.

He was laughing and joking in what seemed to me a flippant kind of way, considering the circumstances.