And when she tried to soothe herself with other images--images of delight--she found that they had lost their power.
Undressing, a few hours earlier, she had lived again, in exquisite and delicious alarm, through the last minute of her talk with Mr.Cannon; she had gone to sleep while reconstituting those instants.

But now their memory left her indifferent, even inspired repugnance.

And her remorse little by little lost its mysterious beauty.
She clung to the idea of the reassuring letter which she would receive.
That was her sole glint of consolation.
II At six she was abroad in the house, intensely alive, intensely conscious of every particle of her body, and of every tiniest operation of her mind.

In less than two hours the letter would drop into the lobby! At half-past six both she and Florrie were dressed, and Florrie, stern with the solemnity and importance of her mission, was setting forth to the Saracen's Head to order a cab to be at the door at eight o'clock.
Hilda had much to do, for it was of course necessary to shut up the house, and the packing of her trunk had to be finished, and the trunk locked and corded, and a label found; and there was breakfast to cook.
Mrs.Lessways would have easily passed a couple of days in preparing the house for closure.

Nevertheless, time, instead of flying, lagged.