Without a doubt, he had behaved foolishly.

Why not vanish into the crowd and have done with it?
What was it to him, after all, whether this girl lived or died?
He had done his duty--more than his duty.

Why not disappear now and let her take her chance?
His common sense spoke to him loudly; such thoughts as these beat upon his brain.
Just for once in his life, however, his common sense exercised an altogether subordinate position.

He knew very well, even while he listened to these voices, that he was only counting the minutes until he could return.

Having absolutely decided that the only reasonable course left for him to pursue was to return home and leave the girl to her fate, he found himself back inside the shop within a quarter of an hour.
The chemist had just come out from the inner room, and looked up at his entrance.
"She'll do now," he announced.
Tavernake nodded.