“Oh, Mr. Gustavus!” said Mrs. Fancy. “Is it the robbers again? Is it murder, Mr. Gustavus? Is it fire?”
“I don’t know, Mrs. Fancy, I’ll ask the mistress.”
He tapped upon the door.
“You can’t come in!” cried poor Mrs. Merillia, who was losing her head perhaps for the first time in her life. “You can’t come in, and if you do I shall give you in charge to the police.”
And she rang both her bells again.
“Ma’am!” said Gustavus, knocking once more. “Ma’am!”
“It’s no use your knocking,” returned Mrs. Merillia. “The door is bolted. Go away, go away!”
And again she rang her two bells.
“Madam!” piped Mrs. Fancy. “Madam! It’s me!”
“I know,” said Mrs. Merillia. “I know it’s you! I saw you! Leave the house unless you wish to be at once put in prison.”