Everything would have been explained to her long before this hour; she would understand.

So, with the return of his old sophistry, he undressed and crawled into the strange bed.
Somehow he did not like it as well as the cot in the balcony below.
Just as he was dropping off into the long-delayed slumber, he heard a light tapping at his door.

He sat up in bed like a flash, thoroughly wide awake.

The rapping was repeated.

He called out in cautious tones, asking who was there, at the same time slipping from bed to fumble in the darkness for his clothes.
"'Sh!" came from the hallway.