"Oh, is that you?" she answered, and laughed through a tangled breath. "I'm drenched."
"Wait! I'll go into Ph[oe]be and help you through."
"There's a chair here. I left it. I'm afraid it's ruined!"
Helen entered the other room as Miriam dropped from the window-ledge to the floor.
"Don't make a noise. We mustn't wake her. Oh, oh, you look—you look like rags!"
Miriam sat limply; she shook with cold and sobs and laughter. Water dripped from every part of her, and when Helen helped her up, all the streams became one river.
Helen let go of the cold hands and sank to the bed. "There must be gallons of it! And you—!"
"I'm frozen. Mop it up. Towels—anything. I'll fling my clothes out of the window. They are quite used to the scullery roof."
"Speak quietly. Whisper. She may hear you!"
"That would be—the devil, wouldn't it? Good thing Rupert isn't here! Put something at the bottom of the door. Lock it. My fingers are numb. Oh, dear, oh, dear, I can't undo my things."