“No, thank you, ma’am. I’m acting under orders, and I can’t break them.”
“You’ll be sorry for this, my fine fellow,” she said, between her teeth; “when your master comes home and finds who it is you’ve been treating like a dog, you’ll sing a different tune.”
The man looked at her grimly.
“What am I to do?” he said; “I’m only obeying my orders, I tell you. I don’t know who you are, or what right you have to come in; I only know I can’t let you. If you’ll take my advice, you’ll leave your name and come again.”
She thought a moment or two.
“Tell your master——No, I’ll wait for him outside if I can’t wait in,” and she leaned against the door-post, and folded her arms in sullen defiance.
The man looked perplexed and nonplused.
“Well, I can’t help it,” he said at last, and he leaned against the other door-post, with his hands thrust in his pockets.
She remained in her attitude of stubborn patience for some minutes, then she walked down the path.
The man followed her.