The piano jutted out at right angles to a big, roomy sofa, which could, at a pinch, hold seven or eight people, the pinch usually being when, for the benefit of Timmy, the sofa was supposed to be a stage coach of long ago on its way to London.

The Tosswills had been great people for private theatricals, charades, and so on--Timmy's own mother being a really good actress and an excellent mimic, but she did not often now indulge in an exhibition of her powers.
At last Timmy looked round at the clock.

It was ten minutes to eight, and his mother would not be down for another five minutes.

So he went back to the window.

All at once he saw in the gathering twilight, two people walking up the avenue which led to the house.