She was not in sight.  Could she have passed the bridge so quickly?  He ran forward.  True, it must be more than five minutes since he had left her, much more, perhaps, for he could not judge how long he had stood battling with him. self behind the wharfs.

A policeman stood at the end of the bridge.  Egremont asked him if a young girl had just passed.  Yes, such a one had gone by a minute or two ago.

He ran on, past the church, into High Street.  But would she go this way?  A girl crossed the road a little way ahead, into Paradise Street.  He overtook her, only to be disappointed.

At the end of Newport Street a man stood, waiting.  It was Gilbert Grail; he had come in the hope of meeting Thyrza, who, Lydia had told him, was gone to see Totty Nancarrow.  He was greatly anxious about her.

Egremont, coming up at a swift pace recognised Gilbert and stopped.  They shook hands.  Grail was silent, Egremont began to stammer words.  He had been to see Bunce, just now, for such and such reasons, with such and such results.  But he could not stop, he had an engagement.  Good-night!

The shame of it!  He found himself in Lambeth Walk, no longer searching, anxious only to get away from the sight of men.  Thyrza must be home by this time.  That speech with Gilbert had chilled him, and now he was hot with self-contempt.  He made his way out into Westminster Bridge Road, thence walked to his own part of the town.

CHAPTER XXIII

CONFESSION

This Wednesday morning Lydia went to her work reluctantly.  Thyrza was so strange; it looked as if she was going to have an illness.  Again there had been a night of sleeplessness; if the girl fell for a moment into slumber she broke from it with an inarticulate cry as if of fear.  It was now nearly a week since Thyrza had really slept through the night, but it was growing worse.  She was feverish; she muttered, so that Lydia was terrified lest she had become delirious.  And there was no explaining it all.  The excitement of the concert, surely, could not have such lasting results; indeed, Thyrza seemed no longer to give a thought to the music.  All she begged for was that she might be allowed to remain alone.  She did not wish Mrs. Grail to come up to the room.  She said she would go out in the course of the morning, and that would do her good.

So Lydia went forth reluctantly.  At the entrance to the factory she met Totty Nancarrow.  They just gave each other a good-morning.  Totty seemed dull.  She did not run up the stairs as usual, but walked with a tired step.

Lydia, following her, broke her habit, and spoke.

‘Thyrza isn’t at all well.’

‘Isn’t she?’ said the other, without turning her head, and in a tone of little interest.

Lydia bit her lip, vexed that she had said anything.

They came into the work-room.  There were a number of tables, at which girls and women were beginning to seat themselves.  A portion of the room was divided off by a glass partition, and within the little office thus formed sat the fore-woman, surrounded with felt hats, some finished, some waiting for the needle to line them and put the band on.  Sitting here, she overlooked the workers, some fifty when all were assembled.