as I thumped; but when the
door was opened in a few minutes, everything in the hall seemed very
proper and prim, while the maid who came
looked as stiff and disagreeable
as could be. "For Miss Mimpriss, from Sir John Drinkwater," I said;
"and I'll wait for an answer." "Very well," says the woman
shortly.
"I'll
wait for an
answer," I said, for she was shutting the door. "Yes; I heard," she
says, and the door was shut in my face. "Hang all old maids!"
I said. "They needn't be afraid of me;" and there I waited till I heard
steps again and the door was opened;
and the ill-looking woman says in a snappish tone: "Miss Adela
Mimpriss's compliments, and she'll come across directly."
"Any one would think I was a wild beast," I said to myself, as I went
back and gave my message,
finding all
three in the room just as I had left them when I went away. STORY
TWO, CHAPTER FIVE. JAMES BURDON SMELLS FIRE. Mr Barclay followed me
out, and as soon as we were in the hall, "Burdon," he says, "you have a
bunch of small keys, haven't you?" "Yes, Master Barclay, down in my
pantry." "Lend them to me: I want to try if one of them will fit a lock
of mine." He followed
me down; and I was just handing them to him, when there was a d
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