She was stopped outside (as I gathered from the sounds) by a returning invasion of children in the hall.

There was whispering; there was giggling; there was, every now and then, a loud thump on the door.

Prompted by the children, as I suppose--pushed in by them, certainly--the maid suddenly reappeared with a jerk, "Oh, if you please, come this way," she said.

The invasion of children retreated again up the stairs--one of them in possession of my card, and waving it in triumph on the first landing.

We penetrated to the other end of the passage.