How I could possibly have missed seeing him as I entered, now surprised me.

I longed to go away, but did not dare do anything that would seem rude.

He appeared very much engrossed with his book, but I, for my part, could not read a word, and was only thinking how I could get away.

Possibly he guessed at my embarrassment, for after about ten minutes he arose, and coming up to the table by which I sat, he took up a card, and placed it in his book for a mark, and shut it up, then made some remark to me about the day.
The color was coming and going in my face.
He must have felt sorry or curious, for he did not go directly away, and continued to talk of things that did not require me to answer him.
I do not know what it was about his voice that was so different from the ordinary voices of people.

There was a quality in it that I had never heard in any other.