Mrs. Brown and Henri’s godmother fled trembling to the road. Miss Milton’s screams still rent the air. There, two curious sights met their eyes. The General and Mr. Graham Graham were making their exits from the two end houses in unconventional fashion. Mr. Graham Graham fell down the steps and rolled down the garden path to the road. An infuriated Mr. Buck watched his departure.
“I’ll teach you to come and insult respectable people,” shouted Mr. Buck. “Drunkard indeed! And I’ve been Secretary of the Temperance Society for forty years. You’re drunk, let me tell you——”
Mr. Graham Graham, still sitting in the road, put on his hat.
“I’m not drunk,” he said with dignity.
“I’ll have the law on you,” shouted Mr. Buck. “It’s libel, that’s what it is——”
Mr. Graham Graham gathered together his collar ends and tried to find his stud.
“I merely repeat what I’ve heard,” he said.
Mr. Buck slammed the door and Mr. Graham Graham staggered to his feet.
Then he stood open-mouthed, his eyes fixed on the other end house. The stout figure of the General could be seen emerging from a small first floor window and making a slow and ungraceful descent down a drain pipe. It was noticed that he had no hat and that his knees were very dusty. Once on the ground he ran wildly across the garden into the road, almost charging the little group who were watching him. With pale, horror-struck faces the four of them gazed at each other.
“Henri told me——” all four began simultaneously, then stopped.