These, quick to catch any slackening in the reins of the governing power which controlled their lives, dropped back into unreadiness and pretense more and more each hour.
"What it needs here is a woman," grumbled Jamieson to himself.
"All the time, for that matter.

But this one's got to stay now, I don't care who she is.

There must be some one here to run things for a month or two.

Besides, she's got his life in her two hands, some way.

If she left now, might as well shoot him at once.