'Amelia, we must
call the police from the window. Lock the door. I WILL--I will--'
The words ended in a yell as Selina, rushing to the window, came
face to face with the hidden children.
'Oh, don't!' said Jane; 'how can you be so unkind? We AREN'T
burglars, and we haven't any gang, and we didn't open your
missionary-box. We opened our own once, but we didn't have to use
the money, so our consciences made us put it back and--DON'T! Oh,
I wish you wouldn't--'
Miss Selina had seized Jane and Miss Amelia captured Robert. The
children found themselves held fast by strong, slim hands, pink at
the wrists and white at the knuckles.
'We've got YOU, at any rate,' said Miss Amelia. 'Selina, your
captive is smaller than mine. You open the window at once and call
"Murder!" as loud as you can.
Selina obeyed; but when she had opened the window, instead of
calling 'Murder!' she called 'Septimus!' because at that very
moment she saw her nephew coming in at the gate.
In another minute he had let himself in with his latch-key and had
mounted the stairs. As he came into the room Jane and Robert each
uttered a shriek of joy so loud and so sudden that the ladies
leaped with surprise, and nearly let them go.
'It's our own clergyman,' cried Jane.
'Don't you remember us?' asked Robert.
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