Part 27 (1/2)
”My _key_!” he repeated in amazeht,” she said sternly
”Without that degrading precaution we can not feel safe”
Mrs Wetherby said nothing, but nodded a grinize your claims as hostess,” replied Lionel a too far I auer you suppose--I ----”
”If you refuse,” interrupted Winifred with basilisk eyes, ”I shall ring for Forbes and have you turned out of the house at once Do you understand?”
Lionel sighed
”I ought to have known,” he said, ”that a wo perhaps I shall be able to convince you of ave her the key, which she snatched with unnecessary vehe”
She ignored the insolence, which he justified to hi him in a nonchalant attitude, she swept out like an offended princess, her satellite following in an eloquent silence Lionel heard the key turn dis down the passage He laughed gently to himself
”Good lord, what a ! First, the face at the hat a title for a melodrama!--Dash it! I've seen it already on the posters!); second, the appearance of Mizzi; third, discovered by Winifred Cli to think myself bored _Bored_ye Gods! all I need at the presentto scour ot into bed As he pulled the clothes about hirave
”Sacked to- orders at breakfast and no ht out what little Mizzi is doing here” And then he turned over and was soon asleep
But the horn of plenty still had soifts to shower upon him: the God of mischances had not yet exhausted his store of thrills About five --it was really an hour and a half--Lionel was roused fro heavily, wondering if his senses had deceived hi or awake For a , and then the knock was repeated, distinct beyond the possibility of mistake
”Confound it!” he ht off now To- a placard on my door--'Conspiracies attended to from nine A M to eleven P M Kindly note hours of consultation'--hello!” he said aloud; ”is anybody there?”
The door opened a few inches, but no one entered Lionel was too bored to speculate whether it ht be Mizzi, Winifred or some unknown Oriental with turban and siht be allowed to go to sleep ”hello!” he repeated; ”who is that?”
”Me,” said the voice of Miss Arkwright ”Are you asleep, Mr Morti in the darkness--”sound asleep”
A species of cluck was heard froe sound indicated amusement or wrath he could not detereance for his cavalier treat round the house A thief, I suppose He seems to have a ladder”
”Oh!” said Lionel, in the dispassionate tone of the village idiot ”Oh!”
Again there was silence, save for a repetition of the curious cluck
Presently Winifred said in a voice that trenation, ”Is that all you have to say?”
”You ards, and ask hi to enjoy hiht, and pleasant dreauest,” said the voice bitterly, ”and you leave us at the uest,” he corrected, ”but a prisoner If you require a h to use hiain it was in the nized it as Winifred's
”Mr Mortienerous I threatened you with a weapon I did not possess Forbes sleeps in the village”