He hoped Lilly's answer would arrive before he left London.

But it didn't.
Therefore behold our hero alighting at Novara, two hours late, on a wet, dark evening.

He hoped Lilly would be there: but nobody.

With some slight dismay he faced the big, crowded station.

The stream of people carried him automatically through the barrier, a porter having seized his bag, and volleyed various unintelligible questions at him.