loudly upon it, and though, when he tried the knob, he found that the
door was latched, yet no one came in response. He knocked again, and
putting his ear close he heard the echoes walk through the interior of
the building.

After this, the wind rose in sudden strength and deafened him with
rattlings; above him, a shutter was swung open and then crashed to, so
that the opening of the door was a shock of surprise to Donnegan. A dim
light from a source which he could not direct suffused the interior of
the hall; the door itself was worked open a matter of inches and
Donnegan was aware of two keen old eyes glittering out at him. Beyond
this he could distinguish nothing.

"Who are you?" asked a woman's voice. "And what do you want?"

"I'm a stranger, and I want something to eat and a place to sleep. This
house looks as if it might have spare rooms."

"Where d'you come from?"

"Yonder," said Donnegan, with a sufficiently noncommittal gesture.

"What's your name?"

"Donnegan."

"I don't know you. Be off with you, Mr. Donnegan!"

He inserted his foot in the closing crack of the door.