“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.”

“Can I get up?” she inquired, timidly.

“If you feel strong enough, please do,” he answered, with manifest relief.  “I shall move towards the door, dragging the screen in front of me.  You will find a brush and comb and some hairpins on your clothes.  I could not think of anything else to get for you, but, if you will dress, we will walk to London Bridge Station, which is just across the way, and while I order some breakfast you can go into the ladies’ room and do your hair properly.  I did my best to get hold of a looking-glass, but it was quite impossible.”

The girl’s sense of humor was suddenly awake.  She had hard work not to scream.  He had evidently thought out all these details in painstaking fashion, one by one.

“Thank you,” she said.  “I will get up immediately, if you will do as you say.”

He clutched the screen from the inside and dragged it towards the door.  On the threshold, he spoke to her once more.

“I shall sit upon the stairs just outside,” he announced.

“I sha’n’t be more than five minutes,” she assured him.

She sprang out of bed and dressed quickly.  There was nothing beyond where the screen had been except a table covered with plans, and a particularly hard cane chair which she dragged over for her own use.  As she dressed, she began to realize how much this matter-of-fact, unimpressionable young man had done for her during the last few hours.  The reflection affected her in a curious manner.  She became afflicted with a shyness which she bad not felt when he was in the room.  When at last she had finished her toilette and opened the door, she was almost tongue-tied.  He was sitting on the top step, with his back against the landing, and his eyes were closed.  He opened them with a little start, however, as soon as he heard her approach.

“I am glad you have not been long,” he remarked.  “I want to be at my office at nine o’clock and I must go and have a bath somewhere.  These stairs are rather steep.  Please walk carefully.”

She followed him in silence down three flights of stone steps.  On each landing there were names upon the doors—­two firms of hop merchants, a solicitor, and a commission agent.  The ground floor was some sort of warehouse, from which came a strong smell of leather.