His noticeably broad shoulders, almost athletically emphasized, unfortunately made their presence felt in the game as clues to his character, for Mr McConnor was one of those self-obsessed top dogs who take a defeat in even the most unimportant game as a belittling of their personal esteem. Used to ruthlessly asserting himself in life, and coddled by worldly success, this giant self-made man was so unshakeably steeped in his own superiority that any resistance struck him as an inappropriate mutiny and almost an offence.
