dead woman lay, and Magnolia, when she reached the door, gave a little
squeal of fright and ran forward, thrusting past Henry.... "Don't be a
fool, Magnolia!" he said, catching hold of her arm and steadying her.

"I'm frightened, sir!" she moaned, looking up at him with dilated eyes.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Come along!"

He took her to her room and opened the door for her.

"You're all right now, aren't you?" he said, switching on the light.

"Yes, thank you, sir!"

"Good-night, then!"

"Good-night, sir!"

When she had shut the door, he heard her turning the key in the lock,
and he smiled at her precaution. "That wouldn't hinder Mrs. Clutters'
ghost if she ... if she started to walk!" he thought to himself, as he
descended the stairs to his room. He had switched off the light on
Magnolia's landing, but there was a light showing dimly up the stairs
from the landing beneath. It shone faintly on the door of the room in
which Mrs. Clutters' body was lying. He went down the stairs towards the
door, and then, half-way down, stopped. He could not look away from the
door ... he felt that in a moment or two it would open, and Mrs.
Clutters, in her grave-clothes, would stand in the shadow and look at
him with fixed eyes....

"Don't be a fool!" he said aloud, shaking his head and dashing his hand
across his eyes as if he were trying to sweep something away. "I'm
nervy, that's what it is," he went on, still speaking aloud. "I'm worse
than Magnolia!..."

He descended the rest of the stairs, determined not to show any sign of
fear, and then, as he passed the door, he shut his eyes and hurried by.
He ran down the next flight of stairs, afraid to look back, and did not
pause in his running until he had reached the ground floor. He stood
still in the hall for a few minutes to recover himself, and then he
entered the room where the others were sitting.

They looked up at him.

"All right?" Ninian asked, and Henry nodded his head.

"You haven't brought the book," Roger said.

"No," he answered, "No ... I changed my mind. I didn't really want the
book. I just said that to ... to get Magnolia out of the room!"

6

Mrs. Clutters' husband insisted on seeing them after the funeral
because, he said, he wished to thank them for all they had done for
"'er!" He made a jerk over his shoulder with his thumb when he said
"'er," and they gathered that he was indicating the direction of Kensal
Green cemetery. He was v