th
tendril through the window in the night, Thir, and very nearly caught
Mithith Thkinner by the legth, Thir. Itth that food of yourth, Thir.
Wherever we thplathed it about, Thir, a bit, it'th thet everything
growing ranker, Thir, than I ever thought anything could grow. Itth
impothible to thtop a month, Thir. Itth more than our liveth are worth,
Thir. Even if the waptheth don't thting uth, we thall be thuffocated by
the creeper, Thir. You can't imagine, Thir--unleth you come down to
thee, Thir--"

He turned his superior eye to the cornice above Redwood's head. "'Ow do
we know the ratth 'aven't got it, Thir! That 'th what I think of motht,
Thir. I 'aven't theen any big ratth, Thir, but 'ow do I know, Thir. We
been frightened for dayth becauth of the earwigth we've theen--like
lobthters they wath--two of 'em, Thir--and the frightful way the canary
creeper wath growing, and directly I heard the waptheth--directly I
'eard 'em, Thir, I underthood. I didn't wait for nothing exthept to thow
on a button I'd lortht, and then I came on up. Even now, Thir, I'm arf
wild with angthiety, Thir. 'Ow do _I_ know watth happenin' to Mithith
Thkinner, Thir! Thereth the creeper growing all over the plathe like a
thnake, Thir--thwelp me but you 'ave to watch it, Thir, and jump out of
itth way!--and the earwigth gettin' bigger and bigger, and the
waptheth--. She 'athen't even got a Blue Bag, Thir--if anything thould
happen, Thir!"

"But the hens," said Mr. Bensington; "how are the hens?"

"We fed 'em up to yethterday, thwelp me," said Mr. Skinner, "But thith
morning we didn't _dare_, Thir. The noithe of the waptheth
wath--thomething awful, Thir. They wath coming ont--dothenth. Ath big
ath 'enth. I thayth, to 'er, I thayth you juth thow me on a button or
two, I thayth, for I can't go to London like thith, I thayth, and I'll
go up to Mithter Benthington, I thayth, and ekthplain thingth to 'im.
And you thtop in thith room till I come back to you, I thayth, and keep
the windowth thhut jutht ath tight ath ever you can, I thayth."

"If you hadn't been so confoundedly untidy--" began Redwood.

"Oh! don't thay _that_, Thir," said Skinner. "Not now, Thir. Not with me
tho diththrethed, Thir, about Mithith Thkinner, Thir! Oh, _don't,_ Thir!
I 'aven't the 'eart to argue with you. Thwelp me, Thir, I 'aven't! Itth
the ratth I keep a thinking of--'Ow do I know they 'aven't got at
Mithith Thkinner while I been up 'ere?"

"And you haven't got a solita