Then poor Miss Campbell, who had been admirably calm during the whole fearful experience, fainted away, and Elinor, now entirely restored by the fresh air, was left to take care of her.
Nancy and Mary followed the four boys to the rescue. Tears were rolling down Nancy’s cheeks and Mary was as pale as death. Each girl had her own peculiar way of showing how much she had come to love their new friend, Billie.
In the meantime, Billie, herself, was looking ruefully down into the darkness from the window of a room on the third floor and Belle was indulging in a fit of real hysterics.
“How dare you bring me here?” she screamed hoarsely, stamping her foot. “I might have been saved if you had let me alone, and here we are trapped! I always hated you and now I detest you with my whole soul.”
“I thought the others were in here,” said Billie apologetically.
“Thought! Thought!” screamed the wretched girl. “You wanted me to die. You wanted me to lose my beauty.”
“You haven’t any to lose just now,” answered Billie. “You look more like the Medusa of the snaky locks——”
“Oh, oh!” wept Belle, too angry to articulate.
“You may console yourself this much,” went on Billie. “If you die, I shall die with you, but I am going to do my best to save you and myself, too.”
“Help! Help!” screamed Belle from the window, not taking any notice. But her voice was lost in the wild clamor which came up from below.