'"You need not roar at me,' he complained in his strange feminine manner..." (296)
This line, the 'he' being Quilty, once again nods toward Humbert's weird feelings toward women. It makes me wonder if "feminine" in this case specifically refers to the femininity of post-pubescent women, since when Lo has complained throughout the book it is always depicted as something that should be expected from such a young girl; an annoyance, sure, but not worth commenting on.
Aiding this little theory is that Quilty, to any outside observer, reacted extremely calmly to Humbert roaring at him. "You need not roar at me" is more level-headed than anything else in this scene. Calling it a complaint is a complete overreaction on its own, but attaching "feminine" as a descriptor calls to mind his complaints about Valeria and Charlotte throughout the book. It's not about Quilty's reaction to the roaring, it's about Quilty speaking at all.
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