“First of all, are you better?” he inquired.
“I am better,” she assured him, sitting up in bed and pulling the clothes to her chin. “I am quite well now. Tell me at once where I am and what you are doing over there.”
“There is nothing to be terrified about,” Tavernake answered. “To all effects and purposes, I am in another room. When I move to the door, as I shall do directly, I shall drag the screen with me. I can promise you—”
“Please explain everything,” she begged, “quickly. I am most—uncomfortable.”
“At half-past twelve this morning,” Tavernake said, “I found myself alone in a taxicab with you, without any luggage or any idea where to go to. To make matters worse, you fainted. I tried two hotels but they refused to take you in; they were probably afraid that you were going to be ill. Then I thought of this room. I am employed, as you know, by a firm of estate agents. I do a great deal of work on my own account, however, which I prefer to do in secret, and unknown to any one. For that reason, I hired this room a year ago and I come here most evenings to work. Sometimes I stay late, so last month I bought a small bedstead and had it fixed up here. There is a woman who comes in to clean the room. I went to her house last night and persuaded her to come here. She undressed you and put you to bed. I am sorry that my presence here distresses you, but it is a large building and quite empty at night-time. I thought you might wake up and be frightened, so I borrowed this screen from the woman and have been sitting here.”
“What, all night?” she gasped.
“Certainly,” he answered. “The woman could not stop herself and this is not a residential building at all. All the lower floors are let for offices and warehouses, and there is no one else in the place until eight o'clock.”
She put her hands to her head and sat quite still for a moment or two. It was really hard to take everything in.
“Aren't you very sleepy?” she asked, irrelevantly.
“Not very,” he replied. “I dozed for an hour, a little time ago. Since then I have been looking through some plans which interest me very much.”