and maybe she was stronger than she looked . `` the lot of them took off like a shot for the coast three days ago , and she insisted she could not be spared , if you will credit it : thank god we had already found a wet-nurse from the village , or i dare say she would have gone anyway , and let the child starve . phoebe followed , unable to squelch her awe at this woman who made things happen so effortlessly . what would he do to her if he caught her ? 