"In these clothes!" cried he, much offended.
They had all forgotten the hero of the Battle of Copenhagen. To fling
his coat to Jim; to seize the Eyesore's landing-net; to stumble down the
steps to the river; and to capture the squirming cat, was the work of a
moment.
Mrs. Poskett had rushed out of her house just in time to meet the
Admiral bringing the drenched cat up the steps again. In his open
window Basil struck up "See the Conquering Hero Comes," and, while
Marjolaine, Jack and Doctor Sternroyd stood petrified in the Gazebo, all
the rest of the Walk formed an admiring circle round the Admiral and
Mrs. Poskett.
"Your cat, Ma'am," said Sir Peter with the simple dignity becoming to
the doer of a great deed, as he handed her the struggling and yelling
animal.
And what do you think she did? She tossed--tossed!--the cat to Jim,
and, exclaiming, "My hero! My preserver!" flung her arms round the
Admiral's neck and kissed him on both cheeks.
And at that precise moment, while the whole Walk had gone frenzied with
excitement, while the Admiral was standing stupefied, only able to
ejaculate "Gobblessmysoul!" a great many times in succession; at that
precise moment the gaunt Mysterious Lady entered the Walk, followed by
her gigantic footman. Mr. Brooke-Hoskyn fled.
"'Ware pirate, Admiral!" shouted Jim. All the women, except Mrs.
Poskett, who was lying half unconscious in the Admiral's arms, rushed to
their doors, where they stood, watching further developments.
The Mysterious Lady had her _face-a-main_ up, and her disgusted stare
wandered from the excited women to the dishevelled group formed by Mrs.
Poskett and the Admiral. "What horrible people!" she exclaimed. She
bore down on Sir Peter, who had managed to shake off his fair burden,
and stood panting with suppressed fury.
"You dreadful old man--" she began.
"Eh?" cried the Admiral. "You, again! Don't you speak to me! I'm
dangerous!"
The three conspirators in the Gazebo were listening with all their ears.
"You don't know whom you're addressing!" said the Lady, haughtily.
"I don't, and I don't want to," answered the Admiral, mopping his brow.