"Nor what I thought," he said, waiting.
"And the others," she went on, "turn me down, too. You would suppose that my position, and my loss—but they are colder to me than ever." She looked down.
"Look here," he said, "it isn't like you to be so mild, Lydia. Aren't you just a little mad, underneath?"
"Oh, I hate them all!" she burst out. She looked at him with flashing eyes, then asked directly, "Do you, Stephen?"
"Well, suppose I do; what then?" he asked, wishing her to show her hand.
"I will leave them," said Mrs. Harmon with vigour. "So will you. And we will leave them together."
"It won't be a formal leavetaking," he said, not understanding. "We just leave them, don't we?"
"Oh," she replied, "I can't bear just to drop out. I want them to understand that I've no more use for them." She looked to see if he comprehended, but he remained silent and his face showed nothing. "I've lost my husband," she said.
"Yes," he said, encouraging. "Go on."