r could she walk here again without _him_. Not a step further in
her life could she take without him!

Involuntarily she looked heavenwards--to see nothing but clouds and
thick darkness. She reached the last headland utterly exhausted, and
rounded it without thinking at all, without any feeling that it was the
last time, but also without fear.

Of what was before her now Mary was as certain as of the road beneath
her feet, which was leading her through the Krogskogen fields to the
landing-stage. It was so dark that her eyes, though by this time
accustomed to the darkness, did not distinguish the white walls of the
chapel until she was close to the landing-place. Her thoughts rushed to
the graves in the churchyard, but deserted them again instantly in order
to concentrate themselves on what she was about. She stepped on to the
quay without hesitation and walked quickly along it. The gale did not
threaten here, the rain no longer lashed her face; both had become
subdued and friendly powers from the time she had set foot on Krogskogen
soil, with its protecting ridge and islands. In other circumstances she
would have felt relief and possibly peace in return to the shelter of
her home--now every thought was blunted. Quite mechanically she hurried
on. Mechanically she unfastened some of the buttons of her cloak to get
at the key, mechanically inserted it in the key-hole and opened the door
of the bathing-house. Not until she was standing inside in the
pitch-darkness did her senses awake and feel alarm. When the remnant of
south-west wind which was blowing here slammed the door, she shuddered.
She felt as if she were not alone.

And now she must undress and go down the steps to become
ice-cold--ice-cold! Then dress again and go home to fever, and to its
consequences.

If the fever did not do what she expected of it, she had what would
help. She had found it amongst Mrs. Dawes's stores. The blame would be
laid on the fever.

But now that the moment had come for her to begin and undress, she
shrank and shivered. It was the water, the ice-cold water she was
shrinking from. There would likely be ice at the edge here, and she
would have to walk over it with her bare feet. No, she would keep on her
stockings; she could dry them afterwards, and no one would have any
suspicion. But the ice-cold water ... what if she took cramp in it? No,
she would keep herself in motion, she would swim. But what if she cut
herself on the ice in