She stood without motion and without strength.

The books slid from her arms and fluttered to the floor.

Presently repellance grew under the frozen mask of astonishment and dissipated it.
"No!" she cried.

"No, no!" With a gesture, fierce and intolerant, she seized the Bible and thrust it out of sight, into the drawer.

Then, her body still tense with the atoms of anger, she sat down upon the edge of the bed and rocked from side to side.