Phoebe, too, would make remarks on his drawing which seemed to him inept.

In old days he would have laughed at her for pretending to know, and turned it off with a kiss.

Now what she said set him on edge.

The talk he had been living amongst had spoilt him for silly criticisms.

Moreover, for the first time he detected in her a slight tone of the 'schoolmarm'-- didactic and self-satisfied, without knowledge.