The Turn of the Screw

VI

VIIt took ofcourse more than that particular passage to place ustogether in presence of what we had now to live with as wecould—my dreadful liability to impressions of the order sovividly exemplified, and my companion’s knowledge,henceforth—a knowledge half consternation and halfcompassion—of that liability. There had been, this evening,after the revelation left me, for an hour, so prostrate—therehad been, for either of us, no attendance on any service but alittle service of tears and vows, of prayers and promises, a climaxto the series of mutual challenges and pledges that had straightwayensued on our retreating together to the schoolroom and shuttingourselves up there to have everything out. The result of our havingeverything out was simply to reduce our situation to the last rigorof its