It was kind of pleasant to wander off into his own thoughts, but when the man moved, he became aware of the awkward silence. He didn't know what to say though, and lifted his glass to pretend he was too busy drinking to say something, while he thought of something to say. In the evenings at home, when he didn't know what to say, he just focused on some woodwork he was carving, and Alice seemed satisfied to focus of sewing, and that's how they survived.