Margaret turned her eyes and saw Miss Skeat's astonishment.
"Well, what about Dr.Claudius ?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing," said Miss Skeat, "you asked me how I got down, and I was going to say Dr.Claudius gave me his arm, and I thought he had come in here with me." Neither Miss Skeat nor Claudius had noticed Mr.Barker, who was ensconced on a corner transom, with his nails and a book to amuse himself with.

He saw the whole thing: how the Doctor put his white face and dripping beard through the curtains, and suddenly withdrew it at the mention of his name, and how Miss Skeat held her peace about having seen it too.

He reflected that something had happened, that Miss Skeat knew all about it, and that she was a discreet woman.

He wondered what it could be.

Claudius would not look like that unless something were wrong, he thought, and he would certainly come back in five minutes if everything were right.