He heard Humphreys enter his room.

He was now persuaded that the room formerly occupied by Julia must be Jonas's, and he determined to get to it if he could.

He felt like a villain already.

He would have cheerfully gone to State's-prison in preference to compromising Julia.

At any rate, he started out of Julia's room toward the one that was occupied by Jonas.
It was the only road open, and but for an unexpected encounter he would have reached his hiding-place in safety, for the door was but fifteen feet away.
In order to explain the events that follow, I must ask the reader to go back to Julia, and to events that had occurred two hours before.
Hitherto she had walked to and from meeting and "singing" with Humphreys, as a matter of courtesy.