"Well," continued Laura, "I'll wait just three minutes more, and
then if the Cresslers are not here I will speak to him. It seems to
me to be perfectly natural, and not at all bold."

She waited three minutes, and the Cresslers still failing to appear,
temporised yet further, for the twentieth time repeating:

"I don't see--I can't understand."

Then, abruptly drawing her cape about her, she crossed the vestibule
and came up to Jadwin.

As she approached she saw him catch her eye. Then, as he appeared to
understand that this young woman was about to speak to him, she
noticed an expression of suspicion, almost of distrust, come into
his face. No doubt he knew nothing of this other party who were to
join the Cresslers in the vestibule. Why should this girl speak to
him? Something had gone wrong, and the instinct of the man, no
longer very young, to keep out of strange young women's troubles
betrayed itself in the uneasy glance that he shot at her from under
his heavy eyebrows. But the look faded as quickly as it had come.
Laura guessed that he had decided that in such a place as this he
need have no suspicions. He took the cigar from his mouth, and she,
immensely relieved, realised that she had to do with a man who was a
gentleman. Full of trepidation as she had been in crossing the
vestibule, she was quite mistress of herself when the instant came
for her to speak, and it was in a steady voice and without
embarrassment that she said: