she
put two extinguishers into the housemaid's lift. "Better go and sit down in
the parlour. You won't be wanted. Mrs. Moncreiff and me can manage."

"Yes, we can!" agreed Audrey enthusiastically. "Run along, Winnie."

After about two minutes of hard labour Susan ran away and brought a key to
Audrey.

"You sneak out," she said, "and lock the gate on him. I lay he'll want a
new suit of clothes when I done with him!"

Ecstatically, joyfully, Audrey took the key and departed. Miss Ingate was
sitting in the hall, staring about her like an undecided bird. Audrey crept
round into the side street. Nobody was in sight. She could not see over
the railings, but she could see between them into the abyss of the area.
The man was there. She could distinguish his dark form against the inner
wall. With every conspiratorial precaution, she pulled the gate to,
inserted the key, and locked it.

A light went up in the scullery window, of which the blind was drawn. The
man peeped at the sides of the blind. Then the scullery door was opened.
The man started. A piece of wood was thrown out on to the floor of the
area, and the door swung outwards. Then the light in the scullery was
extinguished. The man waited a few moments. He had noticed that the door
was not quite closed, and the interstice irresistibly fascinated him. He
approached and put his hand against the door. It yielded. He entered. The
next instant there was a bang and a cry, and a strong spray of white liquid
appeared, in the middle of which was the man's head. The door slammed and a
bolt was shot. The man, spluttering, coughing, and swearing, rubbed his
eyes and wiped water from his face with his hands. His hat was on the
ground. At first he could not see at all, but presently he felt his way
towards the steps and began to climb them. Audrey ran off towards the
corner. She could see and hear him shaking the gate and then trying to get
a key into it. But as Audrey had left her key in the other side of the
lock, he failed in the attempt.

The next thing was that a window opened in the high wall-face of the house
and an immense stream of liquid descended full on the man's head. Susan
Foley was at the window, but only the nozzle of the extinguisher could be
seen. The man tried to climb over the railings; he did not succeed; they
had been especially designed to prevent such feats. He ran down the steps.
The shower faithfully followed him. In no corner of his hiding did the
boun