After shaking hands with his visitors he immediately rang the bell.
'Take those clothes away,' he said to the servant, not looking at Janet again.
During dinner, she kept up her assumed air of indifference, and tried to seem in high spirits, laughing and talking more than usual.

In reality, she felt as if she had defied a wild beast within the four walls of his den, and he was crouching backward in preparation for his deadly spring.
Dempster affected to take no notice of her, talked obstreperously, and drank steadily.
About eleven the party dispersed, with the exception of Mr.Budd, who had joined them after dinner, and appeared disposed to stay drinking a little longer.

Janet began to hope that he would stay long enough for Dempster to become heavy and stupid, and so to fall asleep down-stairs, which was a rare but occasional ending of his nights.

She told the servants to sit up no longer, and she herself undressed and went to bed, trying to cheat her imagination into the belief that the day was ended for her.

But when she lay down, she became more intensely awake than ever.