After a time the porter came and announced that their rooms were ready for them. At the foot of the stairs a maid with a lighted candle waited to escort them. She was a buxom, red-cheeked country girl.
“Be careful hof of the stairs, sir; they’re very steep sir,” she said to Zenas, giving him a smile that made him brace up wonderfully. “Hi ’ave to climb them hoften henough to know.”
“Er-hum!” coughed the old fellow. “They say climbing stairs is fine exercise—great for the complexion. But you don’t need anything to improve your complexion, my dear—it couldn’t be improved.”
“’Ow kind you hare, sir!” she said, with a smothered laugh.
Dick was behind Brad, and he gave the Texan a pinch that caused him to utter a whoop.
“Ow, goodness!” cried the girl, in alarm.
“Don’t be frightened, my dear—don’t be frightened!” said Zenas quickly. “It’s only the boys.”
“Hit gave me ’art a hawful jump,” said the girl. “One gets frightened terrible in this ’ouse.”
“Get frightened here? Why?”
“’Avent you ’eard, sir?”