Fenner put his hand on her wrist and jerked her hand away. “Cut it out,” he said. “You can’t act. You don’t give a hoot what happened to Marian.”
Glorie looked at him and then giggled. She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes looked shocked. “I shouldn’t’ve done that,” she said. “Fancy Marian getting murdered.” She rolled over in the bed and buried her face in the pillows. She began to shake with laughter.
Fenner had a sudden idea. He put his hand on her head, shoved her down into the pillow, and pulled down the sheet with his other hand. Still holding her, he jerked the pajama jacket over her shoulders and looked carefully at her back. Her shoulders and back were bruised, but they had none of the deep weals that Marian had had. He pulled the jacket down and pulled up the sheet, then he stepped back.
Glorie twisted round, her eyes bright. “Why—why did you do that?” she said.
“Did you know your sister had weals all over her back too?” Fenner said.
“You know everything, don’t you? We can’t help it; that’s the way we’re both made,” and she began to cry. When Fenner saw the tears running from her eyes, he walked away to the window. He began to feel horribly tired. He said abruptly: “I’ll see more of you tomorrow,” and walked to the door. The sound of her sobbing followed him downstairs. He thought, “I’ll go crazy if somethin’ doesn’t happen soon,” and he went to the night clerk to arrange for another room.
The bright sunlight came through the slatted shutters and lay like prison bars across Fenner’s bed.
He stirred restlessly as the clock downstairs faintly chimed ten. At the eighth chime he opened his eyes and grunted. His body still felt tired, and his head ached a little. He was dimly conscious of the sunlight, and he closed his eyes again. Then, as his mind struggled out of sleep, he was aware of a weight at the foot of his bed and scent on the air. As he groaned, Glorie giggled. He looked at her through half-closed eyes, and his half awakened senses said she looked very nice. She was curled up, with her back resting on the end of the bedstead, her long legs up to her chin, and her fingers laced round her knees. She rested her chin in the little hollow between her knees and regarded Fenner with bright eyes.
“When you’re asleep, you look kind and beautiful,” she said. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Fenner struggled up in bed. He ran his fingers through his hair. He felt terrible.