I've a pocketful of matches. We can make a try.
For, if there's a thief around, and we are caught and proved
impostors--Well, I leave you to imagine!"
"I will go with you," she replied resolutely.
The gods were with us. The door leading to the cellars was not locked.
I opened it, passed the girl before me, and closed the door.
"I am frightened!" she whispered.
"So am I," I offered, to reassure her. "You are not afraid of rats,
are you?"
"No-o!"
"Bully!" I cried. Then I laughed.
"How _can_ you laugh? It is horrible!" she protested.
"You would come, though I heard your uncle warn you. Look at it the
way I do. It's a huge joke, and years from now you'll have great fun
telling it to your grandchildren."
"I wish, at this moment, I could see so far ahead--What was
that?"--seizing my arm.
Click!
Somebody had locked the door behind us!
IV
In other words, we had departed the scene of festivities none too soon.
I could readily understand why the door had been locked: it was not to
keep us in the cellars; rather it was to prevent any one from leaving
the ball-room by that route. Evidently our absence had not been
noticed, nor had any seen our precipitate flight. I sighed gratefully.
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