used by yet another thing which was increasingly
troubling, increasingly difficult to face.

Gradually, and at first with wonderful naturalness of bearing, Nigel
Anstruthers had managed to create for himself a singular place in her
everyday life. It had begun with a certain personalness in his attitude,
a personalness which was a thing to dislike, but almost impossible
openly to resent. Certainly, as a self-invited guest in his house, she
could scarcely protest against the amiability of his demeanour and his
exterior courtesy and attentiveness of manner in his conduct towards
her. She had tried to sweep away the objectionable quality in his
bearing, by frankness, by indifference, by entire lack of response, but
she had remained conscious of its increasing as a spider's web might
increase as the spider spun it quietly over one, throwing out threads
so impalpable that one could not brush them away because they were too
slight to be seen. She was aware that in the first years of his married
life he had alternately resented the scarcity of the invitations sent
them and rudely refused such as were received. Since he had returned
to find her at Stornham, he had insisted that no invitations should be
declined, and had escorted his wife and herself wherever they went. What
could have been conventionally more proper--what more improper than that
he should have persistently have remained at home? And yet there came a
time when, as they three drove together at night in the closed carriage,
Betty was conscious that, as he sat opposite to her in the dark, when he
spoke, when he touched her in arranging the robe over her, or opening
or shutting the window, he subtly, but persistently, conveyed that the
personalness of his voice, look, and physical nearness was a sort of
hideous confidence between them which they were cleverly concealing from
Rosalie and the outside world.

When she rode about the country, he had a way of appearing at some
turning and making himself her companion, riding too closely at her
side, and assuming a noticeable air of being engaged in meaningly
confidential talk. Once, when he had been leaning towards her with an
audaciously tender manner, they had been passed by the Dunholm carriage,
and Lady Dunholm and the friend driving with her had evidently tried not
to look surprised. Lady Alanby, meeting them in the same way at another
time, had put up her glasses and stared in open disapproval. She might
admire a s