An exclamation, impossible to repress, burst from the lips of Max.
At the same moment he made a spring to the left, which brought him under the spot in the floor above through which the light was streaming.
And he saw through a raised trap-door in the flooring above the shrewish face of old Mrs. Higgs, and the very same candle in the very same tin candlestick that he had seen in use in the adjoining room.
The old woman and the young man stared at each other for a moment in silence. It seemed to Max that there was genuine surprise on her face as she looked at him.
"Well, I never!" exclaimed she, as she lowered the candle through the hole, and looked, not only at him, but into every corner of the shop. "Well, I never! How did you get in there, eh?"
Max was angry and sullen. How could he doubt that she knew more about it than he did! On the other hand, he was not in a position to be as rude as he felt inclined to be.
"You know all about that, I expect," said he, shortly.
"I? How should I know anything about it? I only know that I lost sight of you very quickly, and couldn't make out where you'd got to."
"Well, you know now," said Max, shortly, "and perhaps you'll be kind enough to let me out."
In spite of himself his voice shook. As the old woman still hesitated, he measured with his eye the distance between the floor where he stood and the open trap-door above. It was too far for a spring. Mrs. Higgs seemed to divine his thoughts, and she laughed grimly.