I thought he had gone.

Would you mind waiting a few minutes ?" It was getting harder and harder to enunciate my proposition to make a sojourn at the inn.

I wished that I had spoken sooner.

It is so much easier to do things promptly.
While I was waiting the elderly woman came in.

"Do you want the boy to take your little bag out and strap it on ?" said she.
Evidently there was no want of desire to speed the departing guest.
"Oh, I will attend to that myself," said I, but I made no step to do it.