Sentence:  Alex suppressed those expressions of relief which offered to prevail in his face and escape from his throat ; unwarranted they were in any case for , as he stood <WSD>facing</WSD> the fille de chambre , his ears were assailed by new sounds from the interior of the shower room . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to