There was a pause.
"Allow me to scratchulate my head and ruminate," Denis observed.
Ted suggested: "How about the old German? When does he come in? I
suppose he has a key?"
"He's gone away till Monday!"
"I have it," ejaculated Denis; "I, even I, will climb that passage gate
and effect a burglarious--oh, my prophetic soul, my--_aunt_!"
A voice--an awful, laughter-killing voice, smote upon their startled
ears.
"So," it said, in accents hard and cold, "this is the way you behave in
my absence!"
She came slowly down the steps of the next-door house. Denis strode to
open the gate, hat in hand.
"How are you, Aunt Kezia? Quite an unexpected pleasure!"
Ted raised his hat.
She took no notice of either salutation.
"May I ask how you intend to enter the house?"
"With your key, Aunt Kezia. Could things have happened more
fortunately?" The twinkle in his gay blue eye was irresistible. "You
arrive at the crucial moment--a ministering angel--a fairy godmother--"
"Be quiet, sir! You are impertinent! And my latchkey," a dull pink
spread slowly over her face, "is packed in my box, and my box is coming
on this evening. I could not dream that I should need my key at
half-past two o'clock, the time I arrived home!"
He winked at Nell.
"Do you always pack your key, Aunt Kezia?" in an innocent little voice.
"No! Once more, may I inquire how you intend to enter the house?"
"You see that wooden gate? I will climb it--Excelsior--or perish in the
attempt! Once over that, I can enter by the kitchen or the passage
door."
"So you did not even trouble to lock them?"
"Sure, then, how would we be getting in if we had?"
"It was me!" burst out Nell, and her voice trembled.
"I!" said Miss Kezia.
"Fare thee well! I go to attack bolts and bars for you!"
He made for the gate, which only opened from the inside, swarmed airily
up, and disappeared with a wave of his hand.
"Is Miss Hadlow quite well now, Aunt Kezia?" queried Nell, breaking the
awful silence.
"No! When I read in your letter that still Mrs. Barclay had not
returned, I considered it my duty to come back! _It is well I did so_!"
"I must be off," said Ted, turning to shake hands with Nell.
"Will you please to remain, Master Lancaster? I wish to have some
questions answered once we get into the house."
That emphasised "Master" tickled him hugely; he gave Nell's arm a
surreptitious pinch as he responded courteously that he would be pleased
to stay.
"I'm sorry we kept you waiting, Aunt Kezia," began Nell again,
valiantly.
"Eileen, I do not wish to speak to any of you till we get inside the
house!"
Nell gave a little helpless gurgle, and tried to turn it into a cough.
So they stood in dead silence and looked at each other. Nell felt that
in another moment she would shriek aloud with mirth. Sheila Pat's small
shoulders shook every now and then, and Sheila Pat's eyes studied Miss
Kezia's face with a most unholy glee in their wicked depths. Suddenly
Molly, in a paroxysm of nervousness, burst out:--
"Did you enjoy yourself, Aunt Kezia?"
There was a little dreadful pause.