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Slowly she caught her breath

She could hear Rita screa back from the street

"No, don't worry about Henry Not now I'll take care of Henry, you can be sure" Oh, but he wouldn't understand this Again she gestured for his patience, his forbearance, and then she gently reo She backed away again, and then shut the door and ran down the hallway and down the stairs

"Let

Julie al room The lid was in place on the coffin! Would they see that faint trail of dust on the floor? But no one would believe it! She wouldn't have believed it!

She stopped, closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and then told Rita to go ahead and open the door

She turned, a rather prim expression fixed on her face, and watched as her uncle Randolph, dishevelled and barefoot, wearing only his dressing gown, caht behind hientleh she did not know precisely why

"What in the world is the matter?" she asked "You woke me from a sound sleep on the sofa What ti on?"

"I'estured for her to be quiet

"Oh, my dear, I was terrified," Randolph answered "Henry said "

"Yes? Henry said what?"

The two gentle at the spilled coffee One of the at the open handkerchief with its white powder spilled out on the floor How very like sugar it looked in the sunlight And there was Henry, suddenly, hovering at the hallway door

She stared at him for a sullen moment Killed my father! But she could not allow herself to feel it just now She could not allow herself to believe it or she would goout that coffee cup for her; she saw his wooden expression, his pale face

"Whatever is thethe quaver in her voice "You ran out of here half an hour ago as if you'd seen a ghost"

"You know damned hat happened," he whispered He was blanched and sweating He had taken out his handkerchief and he wiped his upper lip, his hand tre so badly that she could see it