“Goodbye, my dear!” she said with a perfectly candid and affectionate smile. “Father’s getting impatient for his dinner. Poor Father! He’ll have to wait three-quarters of an hour⁠ ⁠… well, perhaps forty minutes!” Thus speaking, she drew Wolf by the hand to the door. He had already snatched up all his belongings. “Off with you!” she whispered. “Quick! Quick! Quick! Father would want you to stay; and I don’t like dinners à trois !”

He could hear her moving the saucepan over her stove in the alcove, as he ran down the shaky backstairs. His desire to escape from her room without seeing Mr. Malakite was stronger now than it had been to reach her room without seeing him.