A patient woman would have
stood by, shrinking from interrupting the dialogue. Jane Hubbard's
robuster course was to raise the elephant-gun, point it at the front
door, and pull the trigger.
"I thought that would stop you," she said complacently, as the echoes
died away and Mr. Bennett had finished leaping into the air. She
inserted a fresh cartridge, and sloped arms. "Now, the question is...."
"You made me bite my tongue!" said Mr. Bennett, deeply aggrieved.
"Serves you right!" said Jane placidly. "Now, the question is, have the
fellows got away or are they hiding somewhere in the house? I think
they're still in the house."
"The police!" exclaimed Mr. Bennett, forgetting his lacerated tongue
and his other grievances. "We must summon the police!"
"Obviously!" said Mrs. Hignett, withdrawing her fascinated gaze from
the ragged hole in the front door, the cost of repairing which she had
been mentally assessing. "We must send for the police at once."
"We don't really need them, you know," said Jane.
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