第22章

"Wait a bit, my dear, and let me explain," said a second voice, in the low, oily, jeering tones of Dick's companion--the wickedly clever little man whom he called Jerry."You are alone in the house, my pretty little dear.You may crack your sweet voice with screeching, and there's nobody near to hear you.Listen to reason, my love, and let us in.We don't want cider this time--we only want a very neat-looking pocketbook which you happen to have, and your late excellent mother's four silver teaspoons, which you keep so nice and clean on the chimney-piece.If you let us in we won't hurt a hair of your head, my cherub, and we promise to go away the moment we have got what we want, unless you particularly wish us to stop to tea.If you keep us out, we shall be obliged to break into the house and then--""And then," burst in Shifty Dick, "we'll _mash_ you!""Yes," said Jerry, "we'll mash you, my beauty.But you won't drive us to doing that, will you? You will let us in?"This long parley gave me time to recover from the effect which the first bang at the door had produced on my nerves.The threats of the two villains would have terrified some women out of their senses, but the only result they produced on _me_ was violent indignation.I had, thank God, a strong spirit of my own, and the cool, contemptuous insolence of the man Jerry effectually roused it.

"You cowardly villains!" I screamed at them through the door.

"You think you can frighten me because I am only a poor girl left alone in the house.You ragamuffin thieves, I defy you both! Our bolts are strong, our shutters are thick.I am here to keep my father's house safe, and keep it I will against an army of you!"You may imagine what a passion I was in when I vapored and blustered in that way.I heard Jerry laugh and Shifty Dick swear a whole mouthful of oaths.Then there was a dead silence for a minute or two, and then the two ruffians attacked the door.

I rushed into the kitchen and seized the poker, and then heaped wood on the fire, and lighted all the candles I could find; for Ifelt as though I could keep up my courage better if I had plenty of light.Strange and improbable as it may appear, the next thing that attracted my attention was my poor pussy, crouched up, panic-stricken, in a corner.I was so fond of the little creature that I took her up in my arms and carried her into my bedroom and put her inside my bed.A comical thing to do in a situation of deadly peril, was it not? But it seemed quite natural and proper at the time.

All this while the blows were falling faster and faster on the door.They were dealt, as I conjectured, with heavy stones picked up from the ground outside.Jerry sang at his wicked work, and Shifty Dick swore.As I left the bedroom after putting the cat under cover, I heard the lower panel of the door begin to crack.

I ran into the kitchen and huddled our four silver spoons into my pocket; then took the unlucky book with the bank-notes and put it in the bosom of my dress.I was determined to defend the property confided to my care with my life.Just as I had secured the pocketbook I heard the door splintering, and rushed into the passage again with my heavy kitchen poker lifted in both hands.

I was in time to see the bald head of Jerry, with the ugly-looking knobs on it, pushed into the passage through a great rent in one of the lower panels of the door.

"Get out, you villain, or I'll brain you on the spot!" Iscreeched, threatening him with the poker.

Mr.Jerry took his head out again much faster than he put it in.

The next thing that came through the rent was a long pitchfork, which they darted at me from the outside, to move me from the door.I struck at it with all my might, and the blow must have jarred the hand of Shifty Dick up to his very shoulder, for Iheard him give a roar of rage and pain.Before he could catch at the fork with his other hand I had drawn it inside.By this time even Jerry lost his temper and swore more awfully than Dick himself.

Then there came another minute of respite.I suspected they had gone to get bigger stones, and I dreaded the giving way of the whole door.

Running into the bedroom as this fear beset me, I laid hold of my chest of drawers, dragged it into the passage, and threw it down against the door.On the top of that I heaped my father's big tool chest, three chairs, and a scuttleful of coals; and last, Idragged out the kitchen table and rammed it as hard as I could against the whole barricade.They heard me as they were coming up to the door with fresh stones.Jerry said: "Stop a bit!" and t hen the two consulted together in whispers.I listened eagerly, and just caught these words:

"Let's try it the other way."

Nothing more was said, but I heard their footsteps retreating from the door.

Were they going to besiege the back door now?

I had hardly asked myself that question when I heard their voices at the other side of the house.The back door was smaller than the front, but it had this advantage in the way of strength--it was made of two solid oak boards joined lengthwise, and strengthened inside by heavy cross pieces.It had no bolts like the front door, but was fastened by a bar of iron running across it in a slanting direction, and fitting at either end into the wall.

"They must have the whole cottage down before they can break in at that door!" I thought to myself.And they soon found out as much for themselves.After five minutes of banging at the back door they gave up any further attack in that direction and cast their heavy stones down with curses of fury awful to hear.

I went into the kitchen and dropped on the window-seat to rest for a moment.Suspense and excitement together were beginning to tell upon me.The perspiration broke out thick on my forehead, and I began to feel the bruises I had inflicted on my hands in making the barricade against the front door.I had not lost a particle of my resolution, but I was beginning to lose strength.