The room was clean and cosy and pleasant.

He did the cleaning himself, and was as efficient and inobtrusive a housewife as any woman.

While the kettle boiled, he sat darning the socks which he had taken off Aaron's feet when the flautist arrived, and which he had washed.

He preferred that no outsider should see him doing these things.

Yet he preferred also to do them himself, so that he should be independent of outside aid.
His face was dark and hollow, he seemed frail, sitting there in the London afternoon darning the black woollen socks.