DAN: But everything's slippin' away. From underneath our feet.... Can't _you_ feel it? Starting slow ... and then hundreds of miles an hour.... I'm goin' backwards!... And there's a wind in my ears, terrible blowin' wind.... Everything's going past me, like the telegraph-poles.... All the things I've ever seen ... faster and faster ... backwards--back to the day I was born. (_Shrieking_) I can see it coming ... the day I was born!... (_Turning to her, simply_) I'm goin' to die. _A pause. A knock at the front door._ It's getting cold. _Another knock, louder. She presses his head to her._ OLIVIA: It's all right. You won't die. I'll tell them I _made_ you do it. I'll tell lies--I'll tell---- _A third and louder knock at the front door. She realises she must answer, goes into the hall, opens the front door, and comes back, hiding_ DAN _from view._ BELSIZE (_in the hall_): Good evening.... Sorry to pop back like this---- _He comes into the room, followed by_ DORA _and_ MRS. TERENCE, _both terrified_. (_Looking around_) Everything looks all right here. MRS. TERENCE: I tell you we _did_ 'ear her! Plain as plain! And we'd gone near a quarter of a mile---- DORA: Plain as plain---- MRS. TERENCE: Made my blood run cold. "Danny!" she screamed. "Danny, where are you?" she said. She wanted 'im back, she did, to save 'er---- DORA: Because she was bein' murdered. I knew it! I'd never a' run like that if I 'adn't 'eard---- BELSIZE: We'll soon find out who's right.... Now then----(_As_ OLIVIA _steps aside behind the sofa_) Hello, Dan! DAN (_quietly, rising and standing by the fireplace_): Hello. BELSIZE (_standing behind the invalid chair_): Second time to-day, eh?... DAN: That's right. BELSIZE: How's the old lady? DAN (_after a pause_): Not so bad, thanks, inspector! Gone to bed, and says she didn't want to be disturbed---- BELSIZE: Smell of paraffin ... DAN (_with a last desperate attempt at bluster_): You know what she's like, inspector, a bit nervy these days-- _As_ BELSIZE _goes to the bedroom and flashes a light into it_. I'd no sooner got round the corner she screamed for me--"Danny, Danny, Danny!" she was screamin'--"Danny," she calls me, a pet name for Dan, that is-- _As_ BELSIZE _goes into the sun-room. (Rambling on mechanically_) I told her so then. I said, "It's dangerous, that's what it is, havin' so much paraffin in the house." That paraffin--she shouldn't ha' so much paraffin in the house-- _His voice trails away. Silence._ BELSIZE _comes back, his face intent, one hand in coat pocket. A pause._ BELSIZE (_to_ OLIVIA): What are you doing here? OLIVIA: I'm concerned in--