"No, no!" exclaimed Aggie, nervously, and she placed herself again in
front of the bedroom door.
Alfred was plainly annoyed by her proprietory air.
"They're asleep," explained Aggie.
"I'll not WAKE them," persisted Alfred, "I just wish to have a LOOK at
them," and with that he again made a move toward the door.
"But Alfred," protested Zoie, still clinging to his hand, "you're not
going to leave me again--so soon."
Alfred was becoming more and more restive under the seeming absurdity of
their persistent opposition, but before he could think of a polite way
of over-ruling them, Aggie continued persuasively.
"You stay with Zoie," she said. "I'll bring the boys in here and you can
both have a look at them."
"But Aggie," argued Alfred, puzzled by her illogical behaviour, "would
it be wise to wake them?"
"Just this once," said Aggie. "Now you stay here and I'll get them."
Before Alfred could protest further she was out of the room and the door
had closed behind her, so he resigned himself to her decision, banished
his temporary annoyance at her obstinacy, and glanced about the room
with a new air of proprietorship.
"This is certainly a great night, Zoie," he said.
"It certainly is," acquiesced Zoie, with an over emphasis that made
Alfred turn to her with new concern.
"I'm afraid that mad woman made you very nervous, dear," he said.
"She certainly did," said Zoie.
Zoie's nerves were destined to bear still further strain, for at that
moment, there came a sharp ring at the door.
Beside herself with anxiety Zoie threw her arms about Alfred, who had
advanced to soothe her, drew him down by her side and buried her head on
his breast.
"You ARE jumpy," said Alfred, and at that instant a wrangle of loud
voices, and a general commotion was heard in the outer hall. "What's
that?" asked Alfred, endeavouring to disentangle himself from Zoie's
frantic embrace.
Zoie clung to him so tightly that he was unable to rise, but his alert
ear caught the sound of a familiar voice rising above the din of dispute
in the hallway.
"That sounds like the officer," he exclaimed.
"The officer?" cried Zoie, and she wound her arms more tightly about
him.