Afterward she refused to go for a walk with the others. She said with forlorn dignity:—
"I am tired of walkin' between houses that squeeze you to death, thank you."
To omnibuses she made much the same objection. Nell, in pity, left her alone.
Later on Nell went out to buy a tube of rose-madder. She was painting desperately, in a sudden wild accession of determination to get back to Kilbrannan somehow. When she came back she found Molly deep in a book in the Stronghold.
"Where's the Atom?"
"Somewhere about."
Nell searched.
"She isn't."
"Oh, she's gone, then. I didn't know she'd gone yet. The maid came from next door to ask her to go to tea with Stewart."
"I'm glad."