The next minute they were awakened to new dismay by the sound of heavy footsteps entering the outer room. Then they heard the landlord say, "This is the room, your Excellency; I trust it be such as to suit you."
A calm, full-toned voice replied: "Thank you, landlord; everything seems quite as it should be. The other gentlemen will be here shortly; show them up at once, when they arrive."
"Yes, sir—certainly, sir," Trask replied. "This is the bedroom, sir." And the sound of his heavy feet approaching the door caused still greater terror to the trembling girls.
The latch was actually lifted, when the other voice arrested any farther movement by saying with a note of impatience: "Yes, yes—very well, landlord. We should like supper as speedily as it can be served, and as there will be many of us, we will have it downstairs."
Trask seemed now to take his leave, for they heard the outer door close. Then the same voice, mellow and dignified as at first, came to them again.
"No doubt, Dalton, they have been detained by the storm."
"Faith, sir, 't is little such a man as Glover cares for water," replied another voice, more jovial and evidently younger; "although, to be sure, he may prefer the water to be salt, being more used to that flavor."
Mary pulled Dorothy by the arm.
"We must walk straight out of here," she whispered, "this very minute. There is nothing else for us to do."
"Well,—go on." The words came brokenly from the younger girl's lips, for her heart was beating in a way to make her actually dizzy.