When they are alone--in a room by themselves--they feel for a moment their own smallness.

But the door opens, and in an instant they arise and play their part mechanically.
This had come to be Barebone's daily task.

It was so easy to make his way in this world, which threw its doors open to him, greeted him with outstretched hands, and only asked him to charm them by being himself.
He had not even to make an effort to appear to be that which he was not.
He had only to be himself, and they were satisfied.
Part of his role was Juliette de Gemosac.

He found it quite easy to make love to her; and she, it seemed, desired nothing better.

Nothing definite had been said by the Marquis de Gemosac.