He remembered Aunt Barbara's salutary remarks about crossness being the equivalent of thinking about oneself.

And the effort that it cost him may be taken as the measure of his solitary disposition.
"But you needn't do that," he said, "if--if you will be good enough to borrow of me till your things come." He blurted it out awkwardly, almost brusquely, and Falbe looked slightly amused at this wholly surprising offer of hospitality.
"But that's awfully good of you," he said, laughing and saying nothing direct about his acceptance.

"It implies, too, that you are going to Baireuth.

We travel together, then, I hope, for it is dismal work travelling alone, isn't it?
My sister tells me that half my friends were picked up in railway carriages.

Been there before ?" Michael felt himself lured from the ordinary aloofness of attitude and demeanour, which had been somewhat accustomed to view all strangers with suspicion.