I.
Dorsey's nerves were in a shocking state. You could see she had been afraid all the time; from the first day when Mamma had kept on saying, "Has Mary come back?"
Dorsy was sure that was how it began; but she couldn't tell you whether it was before or afterwards that she had forgotten the days of the week.
Anybody could forget the days of the week. What frightened Dorsy was hearing her say suddenly, "Mary's gone." She said it to herself when she didn't know Dorsy was in the room. Then she had left off asking and wondering. For five days she hadn't said anything about you. Not anything at all. When she heard your name she stared at them with a queer, scared look.
Catty said that yesterday she had begun to be afraid of Dorsy and couldn't bear her in the room. That was what made them send the wire.
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What had she been thinking of those five days? It was as though she knew.
Dorsy said she didn't believe she was thinking anything at all. Dorsy didn't know.