here can he be?" she exclaimed, stopping in astonishment at his
room, empty and the door open wide.

Down in the cellar the voice continued to call on all people to come
and see the Dragon of Wantley. Also Elaine heard a splashing and
dripping that sounded in the bath-room. So she ran to the door and
knocked.

"You can't come in!" said the Baron angrily.

"Papa! They've caught the Dragon. Oh why are you taking your bath at
such a time?"

"Taking my grandmother!" Sir Godfrey retorted in great dudgeon. But he
let the rope go, and the shower stopped running. "Go to your room," he
added. "I told you to lock your door. This Dragon----"

"But he's caught, papa," cried Elaine through the key-hole. "Don't you
hear me? Geoff----somebody has got him."

"How now?" said the Baron, unlocking the door and peering out. "What's
all this?"

His dressing-gown was extremely damp, for stray spouts from the
shower-bath had squirted over him. Fortunately, the breast-plate
underneath had kept him dry as far as it went.

"Hum," he said, after he had listened to the voice in the cellar.
"This is something to be cautious over."

"If the people of this house do not come soon to bear witness of my
conquest," said the voice in tones of thunder, "I'll lead this Dragon
through every chamber of it myself."

"Damnum absque injuria!" shrieked Sir Godfrey, and uttered much more
horrible language entirely unfit for general use. "What the Jeofailes
does the varlet mean by threatening an Englishman in his own house? I
should like to know who lives here? I should like to know who I am?"

The Baron flew down the entry in a rage. He ran to his bedside and
pulled his sword from under the pillows where he always kept it at
night with his sun-dial.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"We shall see who is master of this house," he said. "I am not going
to--does he suppose anybody that pleases can come carting their
dragons through my premises? Get up! Get up! Every one!" he shouted,
hurrying along the hall with the sword in his right hand and a lantern
in his left. His slippers were only half on, so they made a slithering
and slapping over the floor; and his speed was such that the quilted
red dressing-gown filled with the wind and spread behind him till he
looked like a huge new sort of bird or an eccentric balloon. Up and
down in all quarters of the house went Sir Godfrey, pounding against
every shut door. Out they came. Mistlet