"Put it out," it demanded. "Go on, put it out." And her eyes flashed to the light above the dressing-table to the left of her, then to the switch at the side of the window, and she imagined that her whole body, arms, legs, head, and even her bowels, rushed forward to the central point that was the little brass knob when all she did was lift her arm slowly and, after hesitating for a fraction of a second, switch out the light. As it snapped the clear outlines of the room from her gaze she closed her eyes, waiting for the panic to rise in her, but it only fluttered, a stationary flutter, for through her lids she could feel the soft-toned radiance of the four wall lights. The fluttering took wings. "Now these," commanded the voice. But that would mean walking the whole length of the room from the window to the door where the wall switches were. She couldn't do it it would be all right going, but it would be the coming back . in the dark. Before the thought had dissolved in her mind she was walking towards the bedroom door, and as she put her finger on the first of the two switches she fixed her eyes on the floor.
