He had approached so near to her that it was singular she had not heard him.

Mr.Bowers was a bashful man in the presence of the other sex.

He felt exceedingly embarrassed; if he could have gone away without attracting her attention he would have done so.
Neither could he remain silent, a tacit spy of her meditation.

He had recourse to a polite but singularly artificial cough.
To his surprise, she gave a faint cry, turned quickly towards him, and then shrank back and lapsed quite helpless against the tree.

Her evident distress overcame his bashfulness.