Nell clutched Ted's arm despairingly, and then suddenly, glancing wildly
about to keep her eyes from the comical little group, she caught sight
of Denis's wicked face peering at them from Herr Schmidt's window. He
met her eye, winked, and rolled away from the window in roars of
laughter.
She struggled--she pinched Ted's arm cruelly--and she glared,
fascinated, at that window. In a minute he reappeared, his eyes wet,
studied them a moment, and rolled away again, roaring. His face was
irresistible. She could see how he was roaring. She gave one last
frantic pinch of Ted's arm, and burst out into wild laughter--hopeless,
unmistakable, helpless laughter.
Ted looked at her, then at Miss Kezia's crimson face, and leant
helplessly against the front door. Poor Molly made the most awful
sounds in her agitated efforts not to laugh, and Sheila Pat's face grew
momentarily more impish. Then the front door was opened with a
suspicious suddenness, and Ted went headlong in--Denis dodged--he
stumbled and staggered into the wall, where he recovered his
equilibrium, and stood ruefully rubbing his head.
"All right, old man, I'll remember it!" he declared.
Nell fled ignominiously, laughing and shaking, up the stairs and into
the Stronghold, and banged the door. Down to the others there floated a
long ripple of helpless laughter.
They followed Miss Kezia into the morning room, and there she turned and
faced them.
Ted looked about him interestedly. He was distinctly amused; to be held
up like this and lectured as if he were a naughty little boy was new to
him, and he enjoyed it immensely.
"One of you go up and fetch Eileen--no, not you, Denis! Or you, Master
Lancaster! You go, Molly."
Molly hesitated, in distress. She knew that, once alone with Nell, she
would never be able to regain her seriousness.
Ted took a step forward, "_Mayn't_ I, please?" he asked meekly.
"Did you not hear me, Molly?"
"Y-yes, Aunt Kezia."
She hurried from the room, banged her elbow against the door, and went
upstairs. She opened the door of the Stronghold about an inch, and
called through, all in one agitated breath:--
"You're to come down, and oh, _don't_ laugh, Nell!"
"I _can't_, M-Molly! I s-simply _can't_!"
"You must! Oh, _do_ be serious!"
There was a pause.
"What are you all doing down there, Molly?"
"Standing--"
There was a ripple of laughter from the other side of the door.
"Oh, don't! I can see it! I--I can't come."
Molly had started giggling directly Nell's laugh reached her.
"Oh, Nell, don't be--so mean! You--you're making me laugh!"
"Why don't you come in?"
"I daren't!"