or as

near it as you can, and I am sure it will be better than our going

from here. I feel certain of it. There! Bless you, Mr. Cruncher!

Thinknot of me, but of the lives that may depend on both of us!”

This exordium, and Miss Pross’s two hands in quite agonised

entreaty clasping his, decided Mr. Cruncher. With an encouraging

nod or two, he immediately went out to alter the arrangements,

and left her by herself to follow as she had proposed.

The having originated a precaution which was already in

course of execution, was a great relief to Miss Pross. The necessity

of composing her appearance so that it should attract no special

notice in the streets, was another relief. She looked at her watch,

and it was twenty minutes past two. She had no time to lose, but

must get ready at once.

Afraid, in her extreme perturbation, of the loneliness of the

deserted rooms, and of half-imagined faces peeping from behind

every open door in them, Miss Pross got a basin of cold water and

began laving her eyes, which were swollen and red. Haunted by

her feverish apprehensions, she could not bear to have her sight

obscured for a minute at a time by the dripping water, but

constantly paused and looked round to see that there was no one

watching her. In one of those pauses she recoiled and cried out,

for she saw a figure standing i n the room.