Answer/ Explanation:
On the first page of the short story, we are introduced to Mary as being "without anxiety" and "tranquil;" in her husband's absence, this appears to be her natural state. However, not long after her husband arrives, she begins to feel "frightened" (2). On page three, something changes, and though we do not know what, we can glean that Mary and her unborn child are about to be abandoned or neglected in some way. This marks the quiet shift in Mary that incites the rest of the story.
Before, during, and for a few seconds after the murder itself, Mary finds herself in a sort of trance, a state of "shock" (4) but also an inability to "feel anything at all" (3). As soon as she comes out of her trance, she experiences a moment of "surprise" (4), but quickly feels very "clear" (4) and launches into an all-business mood. Thus, she does not feel very emotional at all, but commits the murder feeling numb and then emerges from it feeling efficient and productive, cleaning up the evidence right away without hesitation.
At the end of the story, the last words we see are "Mary Maloney began to giggle" (9). When the evidence has been destroyed, her alibi has proven successful, and she knows she is safe, the first thing she does is laugh. This displays a giddy pride in having gotten away with the murder, as well as relief at having evaded arrest. Beyond this initial moment, we do not see how she will feel as she moves forward into single-motherhood. At any rate, however, she does not display remorse within the span of the short story, and seems thus far to be pleased with herself.
