So saying, he rang the alarm-bell, which was only kept for fires and burglaries, and summoned the household.

'A murrain on ye for being so pestilent slow!' he shouted.

'Gadsooth, ye knaves! let loose the petrol, or I soar not into the zenith.'" Then came Mary, who naturally had no patience with nonsense.

She ignored Fizzy's contribution completely, and got back to romance: "Meanwhile, seated in her room in the home turret sat the lovely Lady Elfrida, the picture of woe.

Why did her lord tarry?
Had she not heard him ride into the courtyard and give his palfrey to the waiting serf?
Yet where was he?
He was to spring up the stairs lightly as a roebuck of the mountains to welcome her, and now where was he?
Little did she guess--" Here Shrimp took the paper and wrote: "-- that a brand-new monoplane was blocking up the stairs, so big that not a roebuck on earth could jump it.