She must look up to him as her benefactor, her providence.

It would have pleased him still better if she had not possessed a penny of her own, but happily Monica seemed never to give a thought to the sum at her disposal.
Surely he was the easiest of men to live with.

When he first became aware that Monica suffered an occasional discontent, it caused him troublous surprise.

As soon as he understood that she desired more freedom of movement, he became anxious, suspicious irritable.

Nothing like a quarrel had yet taken place between them, but Widdowson began to perceive that he must exert authority in a way he had imagined would never be necessary.