Suddenly a terrific noise of Frénch shouting and exclaiming broke out below: the mechanics were in disagreement, and they were quarrelling. One, apparently in charge, was exhorting the others, or complaining, with much waving of the arms and shrugging of the shoulders. The others at first shouted back, then became sullen. And then the group drifted off back to the main building, leaving the one, alone, under the aircraft. Who, alone, first swore vigorously, and then gave a final heavy shrug of the shoulders and followed the others into the building. The American and Ella again exchanged glances. He said, apparently amused: ‘I don’t care much for that,’ while the voice from the loudspeaker invited them to take their seats. Ella and he went together. She remarked: ‘Perhaps we should refuse to go?’ He said, showing fine, very white teeth and an enthusiastic beam from boyish blue eyes: ‘I’ve got an appointment tomorrow morning.’ Apparently the appointment was so important it justified a risk of crashing. The party, most of whom must have overlooked the scene with the mechanics, climbed obediently back into their seats, apparently absorbed into the necessity of putting a good face on things. Even the air-hostess, outwardly calm, showed nervousness. In the brightly-lit interior of the aircraft, forty people were in the grip of terror, and concerned with not showing it. All, that is, Ella thought, save for the American; now seated by her; and already at work on his medical books. As for Ella, she had climbed into the aircraft as she would have climbed into a death-chamber; but thinking of the shrug given by the head mechanic: that was her feeling too. As the aeroplane began to vibrate, she thought: I’m going to die, very likely, and I’m pleased.

This discovery was not, after the first moment, a shock. She had known it all the time: I’m so enormously exhausted, so utterly, basically tired, and in every fibre of myself, that to know I haven’t got to go through with living is like a reprieve. How extraordinary! And every one of these people, with the possible exception of this exuberant young man, is terrified that the machine is going to crash, and yet we all trooped obediently into it. So perhaps we all feel the same way?