Her retort was met with boisterous laughter and mocking cries of “Down with the doors!” “Break in the windows!”
This was a move Nell had not anticipated. She jumped from the ledge, or rather tumbled into the room, nervously dropping her disguise upon the floor.
“Heaven preserve us,” she said to Moll, with quite another complexion in her tone, “they are coming in! Oh, Moll, Moll, I did not think they would dare.”
Moll closed the sashes and bolted them, then hugged Nell close.
“Ho, there, within!” came, in a guttural voice, now from without the door.
“Yes?” Nell tried to say; but the word scarce went beyond her lips.
Again in guttural tones came a second summons–“Nell! Nell!”
Nell turned to Moll for support and courage, whispering: “Some arrant knave calls Nell at this hour.” Then, assuming an attitude of bravery, with fluttering heart, she answered, as best she could, in a forced voice: “Nell’s in bed!”
“Yes, Nell’s in bed,” echoed the constant Moll. “Everybody’s in bed. Call to-morrow!”
“No trifling, wench!” commanded the voice without, angrily. “Down with the door!”