t here all through the
afternoon. A short walk would perhaps remove the headache which had
begun to trouble her.

She descended the stairs very lightly, and hastened almost on tip-toe
along the passage; the front door she closed as softly as possible
behind her, and went in the direction away from Mrs. Grail's parlour
window. To be sure she was free to leave the house as often as she
pleased, but for some vague reason she wished just now not to be
observed. Perhaps Gilbert would think that she went about too much; but
she could not, she could not, sit in the room.

Without express purpose, she again walked towards Brook Street. No, she
was not going to the library again; Mr. Egremont might still be there,
and it would seem so strange of her. But she went to a point whence she
could see the building, and for some minutes stood looking at it. Was
he still within--Mr. Egremont? Those books would take him a long time
to put on the shelves. As she looked someone came out from the door;
Mr. Egremont himself. She turned and almost ran in her desire to escape
his notice.

He was going home. Even whilst hurrying, she tried to imagine how he
was going to spend his evening. From Gilbert's description she had made
a picture of his room in Great Russell Street. Did he sit there all the
evening among his books, reading, writing? Not always, of course. He
was a gentleman, he had friends to go and see, people who lived in
large houses, very grand people. He talked with ladies, with such as
Miss Newthorpe. (Thyrza did not trouble to notice where she was. Her
feet hurried her on, her head throbbed. She was thinking, thinking.)

Such as Miss Newthorpe. Yes, he knew that lady; knew her very well, as
was evident from the way in which he spoke of her. Of what did they
talk, when they met? No doubt she had often played to him, and when she
played he would look at her, and she was very beautiful.

She would not think of Miss Newthorpe. Somehow she did not feel to her
in the same way as hitherto.

When she was married, she would of course see him very often--Mr.
Egremont. He would be at the library constantly, no doubt. Perhaps he
would come sometimes and sit in their room. And when he began his
lectures in the room upstairs, would it not be possible for her to hear
him? She would so like to, just once. She could at all events creep
softly up and listen at the door. How beautiful his lectures must be!
Gilbert could never speak strongly e