“Harry!” I said, seizing him by the arm—“Harry!”
He started and opened his eyes. “Hullo,” he said, “what’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter!” I said. “Why, it’s five o’clock in the morning, and you’ve given me my death of fright.”
He was flabbergasted when he found out what time it was, and he said he supposed he must have dropped off sound asleep.
There wasn’t much suppose about it!
A nice thing, wasn’t it, to leave him to look after those two fellows, and put the gas out for safety? and then for them to put their gas out themselves, and him to go to sleep with his burning, and drop his lighted pipe on the hearthrug.
It’s a mercy we weren’t all burned alive in our beds.
* * * * *
What with the fright and the broken rest, I wasn’t at all well next day, and I dare say I was a little disagreeable. I know I began at Harry about those two gentlemen, and what we were going to do.
They didn’t get up till nearly ten, and it was past eleven before they’d done breakfast. I went into the sitting-room to ask about dinner; but really to have another look at them.