II
　　"I was always frightened," said Audrey.
　　They were sitting on the terrace. Audrey sat close to Superintendent¹ Battle. Battle had resumed his holiday and was at Gull's Point as a friend.
　　"Always frightened - all the time," said Audrey.
　　Battle said, nodding his head: "I knew you were dead scared first moment I saw you. And you'd got that colourless, reserved way people have who are holding some very strong emotion in check. It might have been love or hate, but actually it was fear, wasn't it?"She nodded.
　　"I began to be afraid of Nevile soon after we were married. But the awful thing is, you see, that I didn't know why. I began to think that I was mad.""It wasn't you," said Battle.
　　"Nevile seemed to me when I married him so particularly sane² and normal -always delightfully³ good-tempered and pleasant.""Interesting," said Battle. "He played the part of the good sportsman, you know. That's why he could keep his temper so well at tennis. His role as a good sportsman was more important to him than winning matches. But it put a strain upon him, of course; playing a part always does. He got worse underneath⁴.""Underneath," whispered Audrey with a shudder⁵. "Always underneath. Nothing you could get hold of. Just sometimes a word or a look and then I'd fancy I'd imagined it ... Something queer. And then, as I say, I thought I must be queer. And I went on getting more and more afraid - the kind of unreasoning fear, you know, that makes you sick!""I told myself I was going mad. That I couldn't help it I felt I'd do anything in the world to get away! And then Adrian came and told me he loved me, and I thought it would be wonderful to go away with him, and he said ..."She stopped.
　　"You know what happened? I went off to meet Adrian - he never came ... he was killed ... I felt as though Nevile had managed it, somehow.""Perhaps he did," said Battle. Audrey turned a startled face to him. "Oh, do you think so?""We'll never know now. Motor accidents can be arranged. Don't brood on it, though, Mrs. Strange. As likely as not, it just happened naturally.""I -I was all broken up. I went back to the Rectory - Adrian's home. We were to have written to his mother, but as she didn't know about us, I thought I wouldn't tell her and give her pain. And Nevile came almost at once. He was very nice -and kind - and all the time I talked to him I was quite sick with fear! He said no one need know about Adrian, that I could divorce him on evidence he would send me and that he was going to remarry afterwards. I felt so thankful. I knew he had thought Kay attractive and I hoped that everything would turn out right and that I should get over this queer

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