Send
her down again.'
'Oh, no!' cried the poor girl. 'Miss Hewett! be a friend to me!
She's goin' to shut me up all night with the coffin. Don't let her,
miss! I durstn't! Oh, be a friend to me!'
'Little liar!' shouted Clem. 'Oh, that bloomin' little liar! when I
never said a word o' such a thing!'
'I'll believe her a good deal sooner than you,' returned Clara
sharply. 'Why, anybody can see she's tellin' the truth--can't
they, father? She's half-scared out of her life. Come in here, Jane;
you shall stay here till morning.'
By this time all the grown-up people in the house were on the
staircase; the clang of tongues was terrific. Clem held her ground
stoutly, and in virulence was more than a match for all her
opponents. Even Bob did not venture to take her part; he grinned
down over the banisters, and enjoyed the entertainment immensely.
Dick Snape, whose room Bob shared, took the opportunity of paying
off certain old scores he had standing against Clem. Mr. Marple, the
cab-driver, was very loud and very hoarse in condemnation of such
barbarity. Mrs. Hewett, looking as if she had herself risen from a
coffin, cried shame on the general heartlessness with which Jane was
used.
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