Phil mechanically took the gun, but he did not raise it nor try to carry out Susan’s blood-thirsty instructions. Emile, however, thought he was going to be shot.
Turning pale, he hesitated for a moment, and then dashed up-stairs, where he rushed into his room and slammed the door after him.
“There, now,” said Susan, as Philip stood, still panting, and holding Old Bruden in his hands, “just you keep that gun and be master of this house!”
CHAPTER XIV.
PHŒNIX SEES HIS DUTY AND DOES IT.
Strange to say, Phil felt at this moment as if he were the real master of the house. Ten minutes before he would have supposed that such a feeling would never come to him again.
He looked down at the gun, he looked at Susan, and then he looked at the stairway, up which Emile had fled. He did not say anything, and Susan stood silent. As for Jenny, she retired into the dining-room, where, through the open door, she watched the scene.
Raising the hammers of the gun, Phil took off the caps, which he put into his vest-pocket; then, carefully letting down the hammers again, he handed Old Bruden to the housekeeper.
“Susan,” said he, “will you take this gun and hang it up in the gun-room? And I would like you to lock the door and bring me the key.”
“I’ll do it,” said Susan, promptly; “and if you’ll wait here, I’ll bring you the key in a minute.”