Then Mrs. Boatwright turned on the man.
“You will do this?” she said, in firm stinging tunes. “You will take this girl away?”
He looked at her out of an expressionless face. Behind that mask, his mind was swiftly surveying the situation from every angle. He knew that he couldn't, as it stood, leave Betty here. And they wouldn't let him stay. He must at least try to save her. Nothing else mattered.
“Yes,” he replied.
Mrs. Boatwright turned away. Brachey moved out into the hall and stood there. To her “At least you will step outside this house?” he replied, simply, “No.” Dr. Cassin, with a remark about the waiting queue at the dispensary, went quietly back to her routine work, as if there were no danger in the world. Mr Boatwright had turned to his wife's desk, and was making a show of looking over some papers there. Miss Hemphill sank into a chair and stared at the wall with the memory of horror in her eyes. Mrs. Boatwright stood within the doorway, waiting.
A little time passed. Then Betty came running down the stairs, in traveling suit, carrying a hand-bag.
Mrs. Boatwright stepped forward.
“You really mean to tell me that you will go—alone—with this man?”
Betty's lips slowlyy formed the word, “Yes.”
“Then never come again to me. I can not help you. You are simply bad.”