Other men had allowed various expressions to creep into their faces.

But all were silent.
Not so the man in the street.

Plainly, here was conceit personified, and yet a conceit mingled with a maddening insolence.

His expression told all that this thing which he was about to do was worthy of the closest attention.

He was the axis upon which the interest of the universe revolved.
Certainly he knew of the attention he was attracting.