“But just struck.”
“Oh dear, ma’am, it struck before I came upstairs, and you know we are twenty minutes slow—Lord bless us!” exclaimed Mrs. Pomfret, as she let fall the bar of the window, which roused her mistress. “I’m sure I beg your pardon a thousand times—it’s only the bar—because I had this great key in my hand.”
“Put down the key, then, or you’ll knock something else down; and you may open the shutters now; for I’m quite awake.”
“Dear me! I’m so sorry to think of disturbing you,” cried Mrs. Pomfret, at the same time throwing the shutters wide open; “but, to be sure, ma’am, I have something to tell you, which won’t let you sleep again in a hurry. I brought up this here key of the house door for reasons of my own, which I’m sure you’ll approve of; but I’m not come to that part of
