She hastened into the street. Not many yards from the door she met the man she desired to see. Ackroyd was coming to ask for Totty, for the first time since Tuesday night. Lydia drew him to the opposite side of the way, and hurriedly told him, showing him the scrap of paper.
'I've been to Totty,' she added. 'She didn't seem to wish to help me; she spoke as if she didn't care, and said I'd better ask you. Do you know anything more?'
He was mute at first. His mind naturally turned to one thought. Then he said, speaking slowly:
'I know nothing more, except that lots of people have heard Bower's story. Does Grail know?'
'Not unless he has heard since this morning.'
'I haven't seen much of him to-day, but I noticed he looked very queer.'
'That's because Thyrza asked him to put off the wedding for a week. I never thought she'd leave me. We talked about everything that night after I left you. I pretended I'd found it out myself; I durstn't let her know that other people had noticed anything. She had a dreadful night, but she seemed better since.'
'And did she tell you—everything?'
'Everything! She said he'd never spoken a word to her that he shouldn't. I'm sure it was the truth; Thyrza wouldn't have deceived me like that. He's gone away, somewhere out of London.'
Luke stopped her. He looked closely at her through the dusk, and said in a low voice: