n't be scratching the polish off the door with them guns
you're so proud of?"

They were foolish rebels, those three. They were young and, though
Irish, this was the first time they had taken part in an insurrection.
They had marched forth to garrison Lady Devereux' house expecting much,
hand-to-hand fighting perhaps in the hall, the tears and hysterics of
terrified women, revolver shots from outraged loyalists. Anything of
that sort, anything heroic they were prepared for. Old Biddy O'Halloran,
with her humorous eyes and her ready tongue, took them aback. They
walked through the mahogany door meekly enough.

They found themselves in a small cloak room. There was a wash-hand basin
and a couple of towels in one corner. A pile of carriage rugs lay on a
shelf. Some waterproof coats hung from pegs. There were three umbrellas
in a stand. There was one small window which looked out on a back yard
and was heavily barred. There was not the smallest sign of a staircase
leading to the upper storey of the house or to anywhere else.

A nervous and excitable woman who had trapped three young men would have
made haste to lock them in. Mrs. O'Halloran was in no hurry at all. The
key of the mahogany door was on the inside of the lock. She took it out
deliberately.

"There you stay," she said, "the three of yous, till you've sense enough
to go back to your homes, and it's your mothers will be thankful to me
this day for keeping you out of mischief. Listen to me now before I lock
the door."

She fitted the key into the outside of the lock and half closed the door
while she spoke.

"If I hear a word out of your heads or if there's any shooting of them
guns, or if you start cracking and banging on that door, or kicking
up any sort of a noise that might disturb her ladyship, I'll give you
neither bite nor sup, not if I have to keep you here for a week, so be
good now and mind what I'm telling you."

She shut the door and turned the key in the lock.

At the head of the kitchen stairs stood Molly and the kitchenmaid.

"Will I run for the police?" said the kitchenmaid. "Sure I wouldn't be
afeard to do it if Molly would come with me."

"You'll run down to the scullery," said Mrs. O'Halloran, "and you'll
go on washing them potatoes, and Molly along with you. That's all the
running either the one or the other of you will do this day."

"Her ladyship's bell is ringing," said Molly. "Will I not go to her? It
could be she's not dead yet