In any case, his delivery of the message would sound odd; there
would be embarrassment on both sides.

Why was Eve so uncertain in her comings and goings? Necessity of
business, perhaps. Yet he had expected quite the opposite state of
things. From Mrs. Brewer's description of the girl's character, he
had imagined her leading a life of clockwork regularity. The point
was very trivial, but it somehow caused a disturbance of his
thoughts, which tended to misgiving.

In the meantime he had to find quarters for himself. Why not seek
them in Gower Place?

After ten minutes' sauntering, he retraced his steps, and walked
down the side of the street opposite to that on which Eve's lodgings
were situated. Nearly over against that particular house was a
window with a card. Carelessly he approached the door, and
carelessly asked to see the rooms that were to let. They were
comfortless, but would suit his purpose for a time. He engaged a
sitting-room on the ground-floor, and a bed-room above, and went to
fetch his luggage from Victoria Station.

On the steamer last night he had not slept, and now that he was once
more housed, an overpowering fatigue constrained him to lie down and
close his eyes. Almost immediately lie fell into oblivion, and lay
sleeping on the cranky sofa, until the entrance of a girl with
tea-things awakened him.

From his parlour window he could very well observe the houses
opposite without fear of drawing attention from any one on that