Not until she had disappeared did I myself move from the spot I had occupied since I had taken my first two strides into the room.
"Just turn that thing with its face to the wall; I don't want to see it till morning," said Billy, bustling about. "Sha'n't be a minute——"
He dashed out with a cake of soap and a handful of brushes. The tap was on the landing below. From behind the screen came soft sounds as Miss Causton dressed....
I have wasted paper in trying to set down what my thoughts and sensations were. Not to waste any more, I will tell you instead what I did. It was some minutes later, and already the running of the tap at which Billy was washing his brushes below had ceased. Time pressed. Without quite knowing how I got there, I was standing by the screen. I spoke in a low and very hurried voice.
"Miss Causton——"
The moving of clothes stopped.
"I can't see you now—I'm late already," I said.
Miss Causton's voice had formerly been drawlingly slow, but it came back quickly enough now, and altogether without surprise.
"Yes, yes—I want to see you too—quick—how late shall you be?"
"I don't know—eleven—I can't ask you to wait——"