He took these walks to keep his flesh down; here he came, swinging his heavy oak walking-stick, intent on his own thoughts, and he and Stoner, neither hearing the other's footfall on the soft turf, almost ran into each other.

Stoner, taken aback, flushed with the sudden surprise.
But Mallalieu, busied with his own reflections, had no thought of Stoner in his mind, and consequently showed no surprise at meeting him.

He made a point of cultivating friendly relations with all who worked for him, and he grinned pleasantly at his clerk.
"Hullo!" he exclaimed cordially.

"Taking your walks alone, eh?
Now I should ha' thought a young fellow like you would ha' been taking one o' Miss Featherby's little milliners out for a dander, like--down the river-side, what ?" Stoner smiled--not as Mallalieu smiled.

He was in no mood for persiflage; if he smiled it was because he thought that things were coming his way, that the game was being played into his hands.