Barnabas got down and pulled the bell, but no one answered. He pulled it a second time, and came back to speak to Freda.
“Toimes are changed here,” he said, with a sagacious nod. “Ye woan’t find a merry welcome and troops of servants to weait on ye this toime.”
As nobody had yet come to the door, he gave it a kick with his hob-nailed boots, and called out lustily:
“Here, here! Is noabody cooming to open this door? Here’s a leady weating, an’ aht of respect to t’ sex, Ah’ll burst t’ door in if soombody doan’t open it!”
This frank-spoken summons succeeded. The door opened at once and Dick looked out. But was it Dick, this haggard, cavernous-eyed creature with his clothes hanging loosely upon him? He looked like a hunted criminal, and Freda felt a great shock as she noted the change.
“What do you want?” asked he shortly.
“Ask t’ leady,” said Barnabas in the same tone.
Dick started when he caught sight of the girl.
“You! Miss Mulgrave!”
She held out her hands.