discovered with a thrill of solid satisfaction that the key was in the lock!
It could hardly have been better for the successful carrying out of his plan; and as soon as he had made sure of these things he started to gently pushing the door shut.
When it came to with a little sound, he heard some one exclaim:
“What’s that?”
Then the key turned in the lock, and the boy breathed easy for the first time, because he felt that he had won out.
The door was shaken violently; then a man’s voice cried excitedly:
“It won’t give, missus; somebody’s gone and locked us in here!”
Adrian did not wait to hear any more. Of course they would kick, and rattle the door, but he chanced to know how strongly it had been built, and that the chances of their breaking out might be reckoned very small indeed.
He walked straight through the house now, and emerged by way of the front door. As he stepped on to the long piazza that ran the length of the rambling building he heard a quick exclamation:
“Hold up your hands there!” came in tense tones.