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Full Download PDF of Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 3e 2014 Test Bank All Chapter
Full Download PDF of Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 3e 2014 Test Bank All Chapter
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Chapter 5 The Lipids Sizer 3Ce TB
c. glycerol
d. glycogen
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 164 BLM: Remember
6. In which of the following ways do fatty acids differ from one another?
a. shape
b. presence of an acid
c. number of Calories
d. degree of saturation
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 164-165
BLM: Remember
12. What emulsifier is falsely linked with promoting health when consumed as a supplement?
a. sterol
b. lecithin
c. glycerol
d. triglyceride
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 167 BLM: Remember
13. Which of the following statements describes the role of cholesterol in the body?
a. It assists in blood circulation.
b. It forms a part of the bones and teeth.
c. It is important in the structure of cell membranes.
d. It is an essential nutrient.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 167 BLM: Remember
15. Which of the following substances does the body require for the digestion of fat?
a. insulin
b. saliva
c. chyme
d. bile
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 168 BLM: Knowledge
16. What type of lipoprotein is responsible for transporting food fats through watery body fluids to the
liver and other tissues?
a. micelles
b. chylomicrons
c. monoglycerides
d. cholesterol
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 170 BLM: Knowledge
18. Which of the following nutrients must be available whenever body fat is broken down to provide
energy?
a. protein
b. calcium
c. vitamin A
d. carbohydrate
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 170 BLM: Higher order
19. What term is used to describe the substance that builds up in the bloodstream and urine, as a result of
the incomplete breakdown of fat in the body?
a. acidones
b. ketones
c. uric acid
d. ammonia
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 170 BLM: Remember
20. What is the name for a lipoprotein that transports triglycerides to the body's cells?
a. very high-density lipoprotein
b. very low-density lipoprotein
c. chylomicron
d. microchylon
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 171 BLM: Remember
21. What is the name for the lipoprotein that is responsible for picking up cholesterol from the tissues and
transporting it back to the liver for dismantling and disposal?
a. high-density lipoprotein
b. very low-density lipoprotein
c. low-density lipoprotein
d. phospholipid
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 171 BLM: Remember
22. The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) recommends that the percentage of total Calories from fat per
day in the diet should be within what range?
a. 15–25%
b. 20–35%
c. 25–40%
d. 35–45%
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 172 BLM: Remember
23. According to the World Health Organization, total Calories from saturated fat should be in what
range?
a. 0–10%
b. 5–15%
c. 10–20%
d. 15–30%
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 172 BLM: Remember
24. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that the amount of fat women consume per
day should be within what range?
a. 60–70 grams
b. 45–75 grams
c. 35–70 grams
d. 50–65 grams
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 172 BLM: Remember
25. Which of the following recommendations is supported by the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)
committee, concerning intake of fats?
a. Keep saturated fat intake as low as possible.
b. Consume up to 40 percent of Calories as fat.
c. Consume 3 percent of total Calories from trans fats.
d. Keep cholesterol intake at 100 mg.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 172 BLM: Remember
26. The World Health Organization recommends that people consume what percentage of total Calories
from trans fatty acids?
a. less than 1%
b. less than 2%
c. less than 3%
d. less than 4%
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 172 BLM: Remember
28. Which term is used to describe a diet high in saturated and trans fats, and low in vegetables, fruit, and
whole grains?
a. atherogenic diet
b. Mediterranean diet
c. DASH diet
d. hyperglycemic diet
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 173 BLM: Remember
29. A 26-year-old man works in a high stress sales position, has a family history of premature heart
disease, and is physically inactive. How many risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) does he
have?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 173 BLM: Higher order
30. Which of the following statements accurately explains the relationship between dietary cholesterol and
blood cholesterol?
a. Elimination of cholesterol-containing foods is key for healthy individuals.
b. The body slows cholesterol synthesis when provided in higher amounts in the diet.
c. Refrain from eating most forms of dietary fat to prevent elevated cholesterol levels.
d. Dietary cholesterol increases risk for heart disease more than saturated and trans fats.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 173 BLM: Higher order
31. Which of the following factors increases a person’s risk for heart disease?
a. being underweight
b. having low blood pressure
c. being premenopausal female
d. having a family history of heart disease
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 173 BLM: Higher order
32. Which of the following antioxidants may slow the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins?
a. selenium and vitamin B12
b. selenium and vitamin C
c. magnesium and vitamin E
d. magnesium and vitamin A
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 175 BLM: Remember
33. Which of the following statements is a characteristic of the essential fatty acids?
a. They can be made from substances in the body.
b. Most must be supplied by the diet.
c. They are a type of hydrogenated fatty acid.
d. They are harmful to heart health.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 176 BLM: Remember
34. When the diet is deficient in all of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, what medical concern may develop?
a. type 1 diabetes
b. reproductive failure
c. high blood pressure
d. obesity
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 176 BLM: Remember
35. What is the name for the biologically active compounds that regulate body functions?
a. actosanoids
b. dietary antioxidants
c. chylomicrons
d. eicosanoids
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 176 BLM: Remember
36. To help achieve the right balance between omega-3 and omega-6 intakes, how many meals per week
should include fatty fish?
a. 1–2
b. 2–3
c. 3–4
d. 4–5
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 177 BLM: Remember
37. How many meals of fatty fish each week may help reduce death and illness from heart disease?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 5
d. 7
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 177 BLM: Remember
38. Which of the following fatty acids is derived from linoleic acid?
a. eicosapentaenoic acid
b. hydrochloric acid
c. arachidonic acid
d. docosahexaenoic acid
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 177 BLM: Remember
39. Which of the following foods is the best dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)?
a. olive oil
b. margarine
c. fish
d. nuts
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 177 BLM: Higher order
41. Why must people with existing heart disease monitor their consumption of fish?
a. Fish contains toxic amounts of fat-soluble vitamins.
b. The mercury found in fish may worsen heart disease.
c. Most fish contains industrial contaminants.
d. Fish contains large amounts of pesticides.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 179 BLM: Remember
42. Which of the following fish species may contain heavy mercury contamination?
a. salmon
b. catfish
c. shark
d. canned light tuna
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 179 BLM: Remember
44. What chemical change occurs when spreadable margarines are made from polyunsaturated oils?
a. The oil changes colour after hydrogen is added.
b. Hydrogen is forced into the oil creating unusually shaped fats.
c. The margarine becomes softer at room temperature.
d. The margarine becomes fully unsaturated.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 180 BLM: Remember
45. What is the name of the process that makes unsaturated fats more solid and resistant to the chemical
changes caused by oxidation?
a. transamination
b. hydrogenation
c. saturation
d. deamination
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 180 BLM: Remember
46. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are added to foods as an
alternative to what type of food preservation technique?
a. oxidation
b. hydrogenation
c. saturation
d. pasteurization
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 181 BLM: Remember
47. Which of the following food sources provides most of the trans fats found in the diets of North
Americans?
a. processed meats
b. vegetable oils
c. baked goods
d. salad dressings
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 182 BLM: Remember
48. What effect does trans fat have on lipid levels in the body?
a. It reduces triglycerides.
b. It reduces HDL cholesterol.
c. It reduces LDL cholesterol.
d. It reduces total cholesterol.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 182 BLM: Remember
49. Which of the following food items is an example of an added fat in the diet?
a. mixed nuts
b. fat trimming on meat
c. sour cream on potatoes
d. jam on toast
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 183-184
BLM: Remember
50. Which of the following characteristics describes the artificial fat olestra?
a. It is approved for use in Canada
b. It passes through the digestive tract unabsorbed.
c. It is fortified with vitamin B6.
d. It is a carbohydrate-based fat substitute.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 184-185
BLM: Remember
53. In Canada, what is the limit in fat content allowable for ground beef that has been labelled “extra
lean?”
a. 10%
b. 17%
c. 23%
d. 30%
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 188 BLM: Remember
54. Which of the following food items is considered part of the Milk and Alternative category according to
Canada’s Food Guide?
a. butter
b. yogurt
c. sour cream
d. whipped topping
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 188 BLM: Higher order
55. Which of the following foods could you substitute for whole milk and butter in order to reduce the
saturated fat and Calories in mashed potatoes?
a. skim milk and cream cheese
b. cheddar cheese and sour cream
c. plain yogurt and herbs
d. cream and margarine
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 188-189
BLM: Higher order
56. What food is the single greatest contributor of saturated fat in the diet?
a. cheeses
b. sour cream
c. butter
d. chicken wings
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 189 BLM: Remember
57. Which of the following suggestions would assist with lowering the total fat content in a homemade
stir-fry meal?
a. Use almonds to garnish the stir-fry.
b. Use chicken gravy to flavour the stir-fry.
c. Use palm kernel oil for stir-frying.
d. Use garlic to flavour the stir-fry.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 191 BLM: Higher order
58. Which dietary change would assist with reducing fat in the diet?
a. Choose frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.
b. Consume sour cream instead of salsa on a taco.
c. Add mayonnaise to sandwiches instead of butter.
d. Select ground beef instead of beef loin.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 192 BLM: Higher order
61. Which of the following nuts would you recommend consuming to assist with improving “bad”
cholesterol levels in the body?
a. cashews
b. peanuts
c. walnuts
d. pine nuts
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 196 BLM: Remember
62. What effect does long-term consumption of a Mediterranean diet typically have on people?
a. They suffer less from cardiovascular disease.
b. They suffer from obesity.
c. They show signs of type 2 diabetes.
d. They have a reduced risk for lung cancer.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 196 BLM: Remember
63. What health effect do olive oil and seafood reportedly have on the human body?
a. They decrease the risk for osteoporosis.
b. They decrease the risk for type 1 diabetes.
c. They decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease.
d. They decrease the risk for skin cancer.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 195, 197
BLM: Higher order
65. Which of the following nutrient characteristics of nuts may result in lower risk for heart disease?
a. They contain vitamin E, an antioxidant.
b. They contain minimal amounts of dietary fibre.
c. They are low in vegetable protein.
d. They are low in total fat.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 197 BLM: Remember
66. What plant-based phytochemical added to some margarines, may display heart health benefits as a
result of its inability to be absorbed by the intestine?
a. soybean gum
b. sucrose polyester
c. chemical cholesterol
d. sterol esters
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 197 BLM: Remember
67. You are talking with someone who is trying to decrease his intake of saturated and trans fats. Which of
the following products would you recommend that he use in his coffee?
a. whole milk
b. skim milk
c. non-dairy creamer
d. half-and-half cream
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 199 BLM: Higher order
68. Which of the following fats has the most trans fatty acid?
a. vegetable shortening
b. sesame oil
c. peanut oil
d. liquid corn oil
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 199 BLM: Higher order
69. In which of the following categories does the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid classify legumes?
a. in a category along with nuts
b. meats and alternatives
c. vegetables and pulses
d. in a category along with starches
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 200 BLM: Remember
70. Which of the following food choices is the foundation of a Mediterranean diet?
a. red meat and fatty fish
b. fruits and vegetables as the base
c. canola oil as the primary fat
d. refined grains and breads
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 200 BLM: Remember
TRUE/FALSE
3. Approximately 75% of triglycerides are absorbed by the digestive tract of a healthy adult.
4. Pork loin is an example of a lean cut of meat from which the fat can be trimmed.
5. Some ground turkey and chicken products into which the skin has been ground are much higher in fat
than lean beef.
6. The Mediterranean diet is an eating style that supports heart health by encouraging daily consumption
of saturated fat from food.
MATCHING
1. ANS: A PTS: 1
2. ANS: G PTS: 1
3. ANS: E PTS: 1
4. ANS: F PTS: 1
5. ANS: B PTS: 1
6. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 161-162
SHORT ANSWER
ANS:
The useful functions of fats in the body include the following:
1. Energy stores: Fats are the body's chief form of stored energy.
2. Muscle fuel: Fats provide most of the energy to fuel muscular work.
3. Emergency reserve: Fats serve as an emergency fuel supply in times of illness and diminished food
intake.
4. Padding: Fats protect the internal organs from shock through fat pads inside the body cavity.
5. Insulation: Fats insulate against temperature extremes through a fat layer under the skin.
6. Cell membranes: Fats form the major material of cell membranes.
7. Raw materials: Fats are converted to other compounds, such as hormones, bile, and vitamin D, as
needed.
2. Define the term emulsification and describe how the process of emulsification is used by food
processors.
ANS:
Emulsification is the process of mixing lipid with water by adding an emulsifier. Food processors will
blend fat with watery ingredients. One of the most common emulsifiers is lecithin. Other
phospholipids act as emulsifiers as well. Because phospholipids are emulsifiers, they have both water-
loving and fat-loving characteristics, which enable them to help fats travel back and forth across the
lipid-containing membranes of cells into the watery fluids on both sides. An excellent example of a
food that contains an emulsifier is mayonnaise. Egg yolks contain lecithin – a phospholipid – that
blends the vinegar with the oil to form stable, spreadable mayonnaise.
3. Differentiate between LDL and HDL and explain why elevated LDL concentrations in the blood are a
sign of high heart attack risk.
ANS:
LDLs (low-density lipoproteins) are lipoproteins that transport lipids from the liver to other tissues
such as muscle and fat, and they contain a large proportion of cholesterol. HDLs (high-density
lipoproteins) are lipoproteins that return cholesterol from the tissues to the liver for dismantling and
disposal, and they contain a large proportion of protein. Both LDL and HDL carry cholesterol, but
elevated LDL concentrations in the blood are a sign of high risk of heart attack, whereas elevated HDL
concentrations are usually associated with a low risk. High total blood cholesterol is an indicator of
risk for CVD. The main dietary factors associated with elevated blood cholesterol are high saturated
fat and trans fat intakes. LDL cholesterol indicates a risk of heart disease because the LDLs are
carrying cholesterol, made mostly from saturated fat in the diet, to be deposited in the body tissues.
4. Discuss arguments you would use in trying to convince someone to avoid taking fish oil supplements
in place of consuming fish.
ANS:
Taking fish oil supplements is not recommended, although many claims are made for their power to
cure diseases. The reasons to avoid supplements include:
1. high levels of vitamin A in some fish oil products available in Canadian jurisdictions may not
be safe for females planning a family;
2. supplements of fish oil may raise LDL cholesterol:
3. high intakes of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may increase bleeding time,
interfere with wound healing, and suppress immune function;
4. excessive amounts of either omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids can interfere with normal body
functions that depend on a proper balance between the two;
5. supplements lack the other beneficial nutrients that fish provide, such as protein and the minerals
iodine and selenium;
6. fish oil supplements are made from fish skins and livers, which may have accumulated toxic
concentrations of pesticides, heavy metals such as mercury, and other industrial contaminants. Unless
the oils are refined to eliminate them, such contaminants can become further concentrated in the pills;
7. ish oils naturally contain high levels of the two most potentially toxic vitamins, A and D;
8. supplements of fish oil are often expensive; and
9. since little is known about the long-term effects of fish oils, taking them is risky.
5. Describe the process of hydrogenation used to prevent spoilage of oils containing unsaturated fatty
acids, including the advantages and disadvantages of this process.
ANS:
Hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids to make fat more solid and
resistant to the chemical change of oxidation. Advantages of this process include making fats stay
fresher longer. In addition, hydrogenated oils are easy to handle, easy to spread, and store well.
Hydrogenated oil has a high smoking point, so it is suitable for purposes such as frying. However,
hydrogenation of oils causes the loss of unsaturated characteristics and the health benefits that go with
it. Hydrogenation may also cause negative affects on some vitamins, such as vitamin K, decreasing
their activity in the body.
6. What are trans fatty acids and what is their role in the promotion of heart disease?
ANS:
When polyunsaturated oils are hardened by hydrogenation, some of the unsaturated fatty acids end up
altering their shapes as a result of the change in chemical structure. These changed fatty acids, or trans
fatty acids, affect the body's health. Consuming these fatty acids poses a risk to the heart and arteries
by raising LDL and lowering HDL cholesterol and by producing inflammation in the body.
When food processing changes essential fatty acids into their trans counterparts, the consumer derives
none of the original health benefits of the oil and runs risks similar to those posed by saturated fats.
The DRI committee concludes that people should consume as little trans fat as possible while
consuming a nutritionally adequate diet. Trans fats contribute to total fat intake.
7. Describe olestra’s side effects and discuss its potential impact on nutrition status.
ANS:
Olestra is a non-caloric artificial fat made from sucrose and fatty acids. Chemically, olestra bears some
resemblance to ordinary fat. Human enzymes of the digestive tract do not recognize molecules of
olestra and so cannot split its fatty acids from its sucrose. All of the olestra eaten in a food passes
through the digestive tract and exits intact. Olestra, when consumed in large quantities can cause
digestive distress, nutrient losses, and losses of phytochemicals. The presence of indigestible olestra in
the large intestine can theoretically cause diarrhea, gas, cramping, and an urgent need for defecation.
Oily olestra can creep through the feces and leak uncontrollably from the anus, producing smelly, dark
yellow stains on underwear. It is currently not allowed as an additive in foods in Canada.
8. Describe the connection between olive oil and the potential heart health benefits to the body.
ANS:
Use of dark green olive oil in place of saturated fats (butter, stick margarine, meat fats, palm oil) has
been reported to:
i. lower total and LDL cholesterol and not lowering HDL cholesterol or raising triglycerides;
ii. reduce LDL cholesterol’s vulnerability to oxidation;
iii. lower blood-clotting factors;
iv. provide phytochemicals that act as antioxidants; and
v. lower blood pressure.
Alice had slept quietly for some time. The old clock at the foot of the
stairs had purred and struck twice since she had ceased listening
and thinking. It was for all that time an unbroken sleep, and then she
wakened. She had been half conscious for some time of a noise in
the room, a fidgeting little noise, that teased her sleep for a time, and
finally awoke her completely. She sat up in her bed, and heard, she
thought, a sigh in the room. Exactly from what point she could not be
certain, nor whether it was near or far.
She drew back the curtain and looked. The familiar furniture only
met her view. In like manner all round the room. Encouraged by
which evidence she took heart of grace, and got up, and quite to
satisfy herself, made a search—as timid people will, because
already morally certain that there is no need of a search.
Happily she was spared the terror of any discovery to account for
the sound that had excited her uneasiness.
She turned again the key in her door, and thus secured, listened
there. Everything was perfectly still. Then into bed she got, and
listened to silence, and in low tones talking to herself, for the sound
of her own voice was reassuring, she reasoned with her tremors, she
trimmed her light and made some little clatter on the table, and
bethought her that this sigh that had so much affrighted her might be
no more than the slipping of one fold of her bed-curtain over another
—an occurrence which she remembered to have startled her once
before.
So after a time she persuaded herself that her alarm was fanciful,
and she composed herself again to sleep. Soon, however, her evil
genius began to worry her in another shape, and something like the
gnawing and nibbling of a mouse grated on her half-sleeping ear
from the woodwork of the room. So she sat up again, and said—
“Hish!”
Now toward the window, now toward the fire-place, now toward
the door, and all again was quite still.
Alice got up, and throwing her dressing-gown about her shoulders,
opened the window-shutter and looked out upon the serene and
melancholy landscape, which this old-fashioned window with its
clumsy sashes and small panes commanded. Sweet and sad these
moonlit views that so well accord with certain moods. But the cares
at Alice’s heart were real, and returned as she quite awoke with a
renewed pang—and the cold and mournful glory of the sky and
silvered woodlands neither cheered nor soothed her. With a deep
sigh she closed the shutter again, and by the dusky candle-light
returned to her bed. There at last she did fall into a quiet sleep.
From this she awoke suddenly and quite. Her heart was throbbing
fast, but she could not tell whether she awoke of herself or had been
aroused by some external cause.
“Who’s there?” she cried, in a fright, as she started up and looked
about the room.
Exactly as she called she thought she heard something fall—a
heavy and muffled sound. It might have been a room or two away, it
might have been nearer, but her own voice made the sound
uncertain. She waited in alarm and listened, but for the present all
was again quiet.
Poor little Alice knew very well that she was not herself, and her
reason took comfort from her consciousness of the excited state of
her nerves.
“What a fool I am!” she whispered, with a sigh. “What a fool!
Everything frightens me now, I’ve grown such a coward. Oh! Charlie,
Charlie—oh, Ry darling!—when will you come back to your poor wife
—when shall this dreadful suspense be over and quiet come again?”
Then poor little Alice cried, after the manner of women, bitterly for
a time, and then, as she used in all trouble, she prayed, and essayed
to settle again to sleep. But hardly had she begun the attempt when
it was terminated strangely.
Again she heard the same stealthy sound, as of something cutting
or ripping. Again she cried, “Hish, hish!” but with no effect. She
fancied at the far corner of the room, about as high as she could
easily reach, that she saw some glittering object. It might be a little
bit of looking-glass pass slowly and tremulously along the wall,
horizontally, and then with the same motion, in a straight line down
the wall, glimmering faintly in the candle light. At the same time was
a slight trembling of that part of the wall, a slight, wavy motion, and—
could she believe her eyes?—a portion of the wall seemed to yield
silently, an unsuspected door slowly opened, and a tall figure wrapt
in a flannel dress came in.
This figure crouched a little with its hand to its ear, and moved its
head slowly round as if listening in all directions in turn. Then softly,
with a large hand, it pushed back the door, which shut with a little
snap, as if with a spring-lock.
Alice all this time was gazing upon the visitor, actually freezing
with terror, and not knowing whether the apparition was that of a
living person or not. The woollen-clothed figure, with large feet in
stockings, and no shoes on, advanced, the fingers of one hand
sliding gently along the wall. With an aspect fixed on the opposite
end of the room, and the other hand a little raised in advance, it was
such a fixed, listening look, and groping caution of motion as one
might fancy in a person getting along a familiar room in the dark.
The feeling that she was not seen made Alice instinctively silent.
She was almost breathless. The intruder passed on thus until she
had reached the corner of the room, when she felt about for the
door-case, and having got her hand upon it she quickly transferred it
to the handle, which she turned, and tried the door two or three
times. Oh! what Alice would have given at this moment that she had
not locked it, believing, as she now did, that the stranger would have
passed out quietly from the room if this obstruction had not
presented itself.
As if her life was concentrated in her eyes, Alice gazed still at this
person, who paused for a few seconds, and lowering her head
listened fixedly. Then very cautiously she, with the tips of her fingers,
tried—was it to turn the key in the lock or to extricate it? At all
events, she failed. She removed her hand, turned a little, stood still,
and listened.
To Alice’s horror her business in the room was plainly not over yet.
The woman stood erect, drawing a long breath, holding her underlip
slightly in her teeth, with just a little nip. She turned her face toward
the bed, and for the first time Alice now quite distinctly saw it—pale,
seamed with small-pox, blind. This large face was now turned toward
her, and the light of the candle, screened by the curtain from Alice’s
eyes, fell full upon its exaggerated and evil features. The woman had
drawn in a long, full breath, as if coming to a resolution that needed
some nerve.
Whatever this woman had come into the room for, Alice thought,
with hope, that she, at all events, as she stood pallid and lowering
before her, with eyes white with cataract, and brows contracted in
malignant calculation, knew nothing, as she undoubtedly saw
nothing, of her.
Still as death sat Alice in her terror gazing into the sightless face of
this woman, little more than two yards removed from her.
“Still as death sat Alice in her terror gazing into the sightless face of
this woman.”
Suddenly this short space disappeared, and with two swift steps
and an outstretched hand she stood at the bedside and caught
Alice’s night-dress, and drew her forcibly towards her. Alice as
violently resisted. With a loud scream she drew back, and the night-
dress tore. But the tall woman instantly grasped her nearer the
shoulder, and scrambling on the bed on her knees she dragged her
down upon it, and almost instantly struck at her throat with a knife.
To make this blow she was compelled to withdraw one hand, and
with a desperate spring, Alice evaded the stroke.
The whole thing was like a dream. The room seemed all a cloud.
She could see nothing but the white figure that was still close,
climbing swiftly over the bed, with one hand extended now and the
knife in the other.
Not knowing how she got there, she was now standing with her
back to the wall, in the further corner of the room, staring at the
dreadful figure in a catalepsy of terror.
There was hardly a momentary pause. She was afraid to stir lest
the slightest motion should betray her to the search of this woman.