Then Dolly, with a gesture, waved me aside; and confronted the serjeant
on the threshold.

"You can go," she said. "This is my cousin. I will arrange with them
below."

The man hesitated. Over his shoulder I could see a couple more faces,
glaring in at me.

Dolly stamped her foot.

"I tell you to go. Do you not hear me?"

"Mistress--" began the man.

"How dare you disobey me!" cried Dolly, all aflame with some emotion.
"This is my own parlour, is it not?"

He still looked doubtfully; and his eyes wandered from her to me, and
back again. He was yet just without the room. Then Dolly slammed to the
door, in a passion, in his very face.

Then she wheeled on me, like lightning. (I heard the men's footsteps
begin to go downstairs.)

"Now you will explain, if you please--" she began, with a furious kind
of bitterness.

"My maid," said I, "that kind of talk will not do with me"--(for at
her tone my anger blazed up higher even than hers). "It is I who have to