"Hennessey!" cried the voice of Mrs. Merillia again. "Come in here. I
must speak to you."
Gustavus darted on into the darkness of the Prophet's room, but Malkiel
the Second was so alarmed that he stayed where he was, finding himself
totally incapable of movement.
"Hennessey!" repeated the voice.
Then there was a faint rustling, the door was opened more widely, and
Mrs. Merillia appeared in the aperture, clad in a most charming night
bonnet, and robed in a dressing-gown of white watered silk.
"The ratcatcher!" she cried. "The ratcatcher!"
Malkiel turned and darted down the stairs, while Mrs. Merillia, in the
extreme of terror, shut her door, locked it as many times as she could,
and then hastened trembling to the bell which communicated with the
faithful Mrs. Fancy, rang it, and dropped half fainting into a chair.
Mrs. Fancy woke from her second dream just as Malkiel, closely followed
by the now shattered Gustavus, reached the hall.
"Hide me! Hide me!" whispered Malkiel. "In here!"
And he darted into the servants' quarters, leaving Gustavus on the
mat. Mrs. Merillia's other bell now pealed shrilly downstairs. Gustavus
paused and pulled himself together.
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