population of London with you?"

"No, sir, they didn't come with me. They are guests of yours, I
understand. And they expect to be treated to unlimited beer, so I gather
from their remarks. They've brought some firewood, I believe."

At this moment the clanging of the front-door bell resounded through the
house for the second time. The frightened butler, who was a young man
and rather nervous, stood by the door, not daring to open it. The ladies
of the household had by this time come out of the dining-room; Mrs.
Wedmore looked flush and frightened; the girls were tittering. Smothered
explosions of laughter came from time to time to the ears of the master
of the house, from the closed door which led to the servants' hall.

"Shall--shall I see who it is, sir?" asked the butler, who could hear
the epithets applied to him on the other side of the door.

"No, no!" cried Doreen. "Not on any account! Tell them to put the thing
down and go away."

There was a pause, during which the bell rang again, and there was a
violent lunge at the door.

"They won't--they won't go away, Miss, without they get something
first," said the butler, who was as white as a sheet.

"Tell them," began Mr. Wedmore, in a loud tone of easy confidence, "to
take it round to the back door, and--and to send a--deputation to me in
the morning; when--er--they shall be properly rewarded for their
trouble."