When Leonard Everard parted from Stephen he did so with a feeling of dissatisfaction: firstly, with Stephen; secondly, with things in general; thirdly, with himself.

The first was definite, concrete, and immediate; he could give himself chapter and verse for all the girl's misdoing.
Everything she had said or done had touched some nerve painfully, or had offended his feelings; and to a man of his temperament his feelings are very sacred things, to himself.
'Why had she put him in such a ridiculous position?
That was the worst of women.

They were always wanting him to do something he didn't want to do, or crying.

.

.