Sentence:  Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a <WSD>tall</WSD> young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,..., and the light of the reflector fell full upon her. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.