"If you want to know," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "I go with death in my heart and fear. I do not know what Walter has in that dark, twisted mind of his, but I'm shaking with terror. I think it may be that death will be really a release."
She felt that she could not hold on to her self control for another moment. She walked swiftly to the door and let herself out before he had time to move from his chair. Townsend gave a long sigh of relief. He badly wanted a brandy and soda.
[xxvii]
Walter was in when she got home. She would have liked to go straight to her room, but he was downstairs, in the hall, giving instructions to one of the boys. She was so wretched that she welcomed the humiliation to which she must expose herself. She stopped and faced him.
"I'm coming with you to that place," she said.
"Oh, good."
"When do you want me to be ready?"
"To-morrow night."
She did not know what spirit of bravado entered into her. His indifference was like the prick of a spear. She said a thing that surprised herself.
"I suppose I needn't take more than a few summer things and a shroud, need I?"