be clear of it!

The big man took two steps to the door, opened it, slipped through, and
closed it behind him. His breast as good as touched that of Colonel
Sullivan, who was on the threshold. Behind the Colonel was James
McMurrough; behind James were the two O'Beirnes and two others, of
whose object, as they cut off the Colonel's retreat, no man who saw
their faces could doubt.

For once, in view of the worse things that might happen in the house,
Ulick was firm. "You can't come in!" he said, his face pale and
frowning. He had no word of greeting for the Colonel. "You can't come
in!" he repeated, staring straight at him.

The Colonel turned and saw the four men with arms in their hands
spreading out behind him. He understood. "You had better let me in," he
said gently. "James will talk to them."

"James----"

"You had better speak to them," Colonel John continued, addressing his
companion. "And you, Ulick----"

"You can't come in," Ulick repeated grimly.

James McMurrough interposed in his harshest tone. "An end to this!" he
cried. "Who the devil are you to bar the door, Ulick! And you, Phelim
and Morty, be easy a minute till you hear me speak."

Ulick still barred the way. "James," he said, in a voice little above a
whisper, "you don't know----"

"I know enough!" The McMurrough answered violently. It went sadly
against the grain with him to shield his enemy, but so it must be.
"Curse you, let him in!" he continued fiercely; they were making his
task more hard for him. "And have a care of him," he added anxiously.
"Do you hear? Have a care of him!"

Uncle Ulick made a last feeble attempt. "But Flavia," he said. "Flavia
is there and----"

"Curse the girl!" James answered. "Get out of the road and let the man
in! Is this my house or yours?"

Ulick yielded, as he had yielded so often before. He stood aside.
Colonel John opened the door and entered.

The rest happened so quickly that no movement on his part could have
saved him. Flavia had heard their voices in altercation--it might be a
half minute, it might be a few seconds before. She had risen to her
feet, she had recognised the voice of one of the speakers--he had
spoken once only, but that was enough--she had snatched up the naked
sword that since the previous morning had leant in the chimney corner.
As Colonel John crossed the threshold--oh, dastardly audacity, oh,
insolence incredible, that in the hour of his triumph he should soil
that threshold!