Suddenly there came a violent thud against the door of the parlour, a sharp cry, and then-silence.
“Hallo!” said Teddy Henfrey.
Mr. Hall understood things slowly but surely.
“That isn’t right,” he said, and came round from behind the bar towards the parlour door.
He and Teddy approached the door together, with intent faces.
“Something wrong,” said Hall, and Henfrey nodded.
Whiffs of an unpleasant chemical odour met them, and there was a muffled sound of conversation, very rapid and subdued.
“Are you all right there?” asked Hall, rapping.
The muttered conversation ceased abruptly, for a moment silence, then the conversation was resumed, in hissing whispers, then a sharp cry of “No! no, you don’t!” There came a sudden motion and a brief struggle. Silence again.
“What the devil?” exclaimed Henfrey.
“Are you all right there?” asked Mr. Hall, sharply, again.
The Vicar’s voice answered with a curious jerking intonation:
“Quite right. Please don’t interrupt.”
“Odd!” said Mr. Henfrey.
“Odd!” said Mr. Hall.
“They say, ‘Don’t interrupt,’” said Henfrey.
“I heard this,” said Hall.
“And a sniff,” said Henfrey.
They remained listening. The conversation was rapid and subdued.
“I can’t,” said Mr. Bunting, his voice rising; “I tell you, sir, I will not.”
“What was that?” asked Henfrey.
“He says he will not,” said Hall. “Was he speaking to us?”
“Disgraceful!” said Mr. Bunting, within.
“‘Disgraceful,’” said Mr. Henfrey. “I heard it. Who’s that speaking now?” asked Henfrey.
“Mr. Cuss, I suppose,” said Hall. “Can you hear anything?”
Silence.
“Sounds like throwing the table-cloth about,” said Hall.
Mrs. Hall appeared behind the bar. Hall made gestures of silence. This aroused Mrs. Hall’s opposition.
“What are you listening there for, Hall?” she asked. “Do you have nothing better to do?”
Hall and Henfrey, rather crestfallen, tiptoed back to the bar, gesticulating to explain to her.
At first she refused to understand. Then she insisted on Hall keeping silence, while Henfrey told her his story.
“I heard him say ‘disgraceful’; that I did,” said Hall.
“I heard that, too, Mrs. Hall,” said Henfrey.
“So-” began Mrs. Hall.
“Hsh!” said Mr. Teddy Henfrey. “Do you hear the window?”
“What window?” asked Mrs. Hall.
“Parlour window,” said Henfrey.
Everyone stood listening intently. Abruptly Huxter’s door opened and Huxter appeared, eyes staring with excitement, arms gesticulating.