ar what it was.

"Is Mistress Jermyn within doors?" I asked.

The old face mumbled at me; but I could not hear a word. "Is Mistress
Jermyn within?" I asked again.

Once again the face mumbled at me; and then the door began to close.

This would never do; so I set my foot against it, suddenly all overcome
with impatience--(for I was in no mood to chop words)--and with the same
kind of fury that had seized me in Mr. Chiffinch's rooms. I saw red, as
the saying is; and it was not likely that a deaf old woman would stop
me. She fluttered the door passionately; and then, as I pushed on it,
she cried out. There was a great rattle of footsteps, and as I came into
the little paved entrance, a heavy bald fellow ran out of the room where
I had seen the light--(which was the porter's parlour)--in his
shirt-sleeves, very angry and hot-looking.

He looked at me, like a bull, with lowered head; and I saw that he
carried some weapon in his hand.

"Is Mistress Jermyn within doors?" I asked, putting on a high kind of
air.

"Who the devil are you?" said he.

I was not going to argue that point, for it was the weakest spot in my
assault. So I sat down on the stairs that rose straight up to the first
floor. (It was a little oak-panelled entrance that I was in, with a
single lamp burning in a socket on the wall.)

"You will first answer my question," I said. "Is Mistress Jermyn within
doors?"

Then he came at me, thinking, I suppose that my sitting down gave him
an advantage, and he lifted his weapon as he came. I had no time to draw
my own sword--which was besides, somewhere between my legs; but I rose
up, and, as I rose, struck out at his chin with all my force, with my
whole weight behind.

He staggered back against the doorway he had come out by; and the same
moment two things happened. The old woman screamed aloud; and Dolly
sprang suddenly out on to the head of the stairs, from a door that
opened there, full into the light of the lamp.

"Why-" cried she.

"Oh! there you are," I said bitterly. "Then Mistress Jermyn is within
doors."

Then I turned and went straight upstairs after her; and, as I went heard
the ring of running footsteps in the paved passage out of doors, and
knew that the guard was coming up. The fellow still leaned, dazed,
against the doorpost; and the old woman was pouring out scream after
scream.

I went after Dolly straight into the room from which she had come. It
was a little parlour, very richl