e banisters of the stairs, sliding down from top to bottom; another
clinging now and then, in the pauses of the conflict, to the top of
one of the doors, by which it swung back and forward. Terrible infants!
there they all were in a complete saturnalia, the door of the parlour
half open all the time, and no sound of Nettie's restraining voice.
Only poor Mrs Smith standing helpless in successions of fright and
exasperation, sometimes alarmed for life and limb, sometimes ready to
give the little wretches over to all the penalties of poetic justice.
The poor woman brightened a little when she perceived the sympathetic
horror on the doctor's face.

"How's this?" exclaimed young Rider, with a sigh of dismay. Alas!
however it was, no quiet imaginary conference, no soothing glimpse of
Nettie, was practicable to-night. He grew sulky and ferocious under
the thought. He seized the imp that hung on the door, and set it down
summarily with a certain moral violence, unable to refrain from an
admonitory shake, which startled its sudden scream into a quavering echo
of alarm. "Do you want to break your neck, sir?" cried the wrathful
uncle. Dr Rider, however, had to spring aside almost before the words
were uttered to escape the encounter of a hearth-brush levelled at him
by his sweet little niece. "How is this, Mrs Smith?" cried the startled
visitor, with indignation, raising his voice sufficiently to be quite
audible through the half-open door.

"Bless you, sir, Miss is gone out to tea--don't say nothing--I don't
begrudge the poor young lady a bit of a holiday," whispered the frightened
landlady under her breath; "but I can't never give in to it again. Their
mamma never takes a bit of notice exceptin' when they're found fault
with. Lord! to think how blind some folks is when it's their own. But
the poor dear young lady, she's gone out for a little pleasure--only to
Miss Wodehouse's, doctor," added Mrs Smith, looking up with a sudden
start to catch the stormy expression on the doctor's face.

He made no reply to the troubled landlady. He pushed the children aside,
and made a stride into the parlour. To be sure, if Nettie was not here,
what a charming opportunity to make himself disagreeable, and give the
other two a piece of his mind! Edward Rider was anything but perfect. He
decided on that expedient with an angry satisfaction. Since he could not
have Nettie, he would at least have this relief to his feelings, which
was next best.