Phineas was now in great doubt as to what duty was required of him.
His first difficulty consisted in this,--that his hat was still in
Mr. Kennedy's room, and that Mrs. Macpherson altogether refused to go
and fetch it. While they were still discussing this, and Phineas had
not as yet resolved whether he would first get a policeman or go at
once to Mr. Low, the bell from the room was rung furiously. "It's
the Laird," said Mrs. Macpherson, "and if naebody waits on him he'll
surely be shooting ane of us." The two girls were now outside the bar
shaking in their shoes, and evidently unwilling to face the danger.
At last the door of the room above was opened, and our hero's hat was
sent rolling down the stairs.
It was clear to Phineas that the man was so mad as to be not even
aware of the act he had perpetrated. "He'll do nothing more with the
pistol," he said, "unless he should attempt to destroy himself." At
last it was determined that one of the girls should be sent to fetch
Macpherson home from the Scotch Church, and that no application
should be made at once to the police.
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