The servant muttered some droll commentaries on this procedure, which it is not necessary to repeat, and seeming to be afraid to complain to her superiors, dragged herself surlily back towards her subterranean home.
In the meantime our light-footed and unceremonious caller had reached the third floor, and walked straight forward to the door of the room just left by Manton. She troubled herself with no idle ceremony of knocking, but walked confidently in.
CHAPTER IX.
BESIEGED.
Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp,
When Agrican, with all his northern powers,
Besieged Albracca, as romances tell.
Paradise Regained.
An hour after the last scene, Manton returned to his room, and, seeming greatly hurried, lit his lamp, and throwing himself into a chair, seized his pen, muttering between his teeth, “It must be finished to-night! a man has no right to be tired!” He was drawing his writing materials towards him, to proceed with his work, when a something of strange disorder among his papers caught his quick eye.
“Ah! who has been disturbing my papers?” and as a flash of suspicion shot through him, he sprang to his feet, exclaiming, “my trunks, no doubt, have shared the inquisition!” and stepping quickly to them, he threw up the lids.
“By Heaven, it is so! what accursed carelessness this is of mine, leaving everything unlocked in this fashion!”