"Well, well, Plunkett, you know I am one with you in your crusade against these barbarians; if it turns out to be serious," he added more gravely, "don't let any question of expense weigh with you. The poor girl must be found."
"I shall institute proceedings at once," replied Mr. Plunkett, "and if there is evidence to confirm the mother's notion we will, of course, have Pat Foy taken up."
The two gentlemen walked away down the passage, and the children were at last able to escape.
"I say," exclaimed Bobbo, "here's a pretty go!"
"Hadn't we better say where she is at once?" said Rose, anxiously; "somehow policemen—"
"You'd better look out, Rose," said Murtagh, mockingly; "you'll be taken up before you know where you are and clapped into prison. You're the eldest of us, you know."
Though Murtagh could not resist the temptation to laugh at Rose, he was serious enough when he turned to Winnie and asked:
"What's to be done now? How shall we ask him for the rent?"
Winnie thought deeply for a minute or two; then she burst out ecstatically with: "Oh, Murtagh, wouldn't it be fun to keep her hidden, and have all the policemen and people searching, and Mr. Plunkett fidgeting and worrying! It would pay him out, and that policeman, too, for telling about me and Bobbo."
"No, no, Murtagh!" cried Rosie. "We'll be getting into an awful scrape."