or cooking,
and two or three saucepans. Bootlaces had been wound round the handle.

The twins were fascinated, and turned everything over with great
interest. They found a large cupboard, too, containing all sorts of
beautiful clothes--lovely velvet dresses, and robes of gold and silver.

"How dark it is getting!" said Humpty presently; "why did you shut the
door?"

"I didn't shut the door," answered Dumpty; "I spect the wind did."

They took a long time in exploring the cupboard. Suddenly Humpty cried,
"We have forgotten Poor Jane's brother!"

They made a rush for the door.

"Here, Humpty, will you open it? This handle is stiff."

Humpty pulled and struggled with the handle until he was red in the
face.

"I can't get it open," he said at last.

"Let me try again," said Dumpty, and she pushed and struggled, but to no
purpose.

For a long time she and Humpty tried alternately to open the door, but
nothing that they could do was of any avail.

[Sidenote: Locked in]

"I think it is locked," said Humpty at last, sitting down despondently.
He was panting breathlessly, and began to swing his legs.

Dumpty's eyes grew wide with terror, her lips trembled.

"Have they locked us in on purpose?" she asked.

"Yes," said Humpty, "the circus people have locked us in, and they won't
unlock the door until they have left Woodstead."

"And then?" asked Dumpty.

"Then they will keep us, and never let us come home again--like they did
to Poor Jane's brother, and I shall be a bare-back rider, and you will
wear the blue velvet gown, and ride in the processions on the piebald
pony."

"And we shall never see mummie or daddy again--or Nan--or Poor Jane,"
said Dumpty, beginning to cry.

"No, we shall never see them again," answered Humpty, swallowing hard to
keep himself from crying.

Dumpty was crying bitterly now, and the loud sobs shook her small body.
Humpty looked dismally at his surroundings, and continued to swing his
legs.

"Give over!" he said to Dumpty, after one of her loudest sobs; "it will
never do for them to see that you've been crying, or they will be just
furious."

After a time Dumpty dried her eyes, and went to the window, and drew
back the curtains.

"It's getting dark," she said.

Humpty began to whistle. Suddenly he stopped.

"I am getting awful hungry," he remarked.

"We shan't have nuffin' to eat until the morning," said Dumpty.

"Humpty," she continued, "would it be any good if we scr