Half-way up and there was a sloping ceiling above, in which was a
blackened skylight, across which was a string and some dirty white
garments hanging to dry, while to right and to left there were doors
that had been painted black for reasons full of wisdom; and as my head
rose higher I saw the boy who had literally crawled up on to the
landing, rise up, with the rope still upon his arm, and fling himself
against the farthest of these two doors.
It flew open with a crash, and then seemed to be banged to heavily, but
it was against me, for, summoning up all my remaining strength, I
reached the top, and imitating the boy's action, the door came back upon
my hands, and was dashed open again.
I almost tumbled in, staggering forward, and hardly able to keep upon my
legs, so that I nearly reached the middle of the room before I was aware
that the boy was cowering down in a corner upon our rope, and that a big
scowling stubble-chinned man had just risen dressed from a bed on which
he had lain, to catch me by the shoulders in a tremendous grip, and hold
me backwards panting like some newly captured bird.
I noticed that the man wore a great sleeved waistcoat, breeches, and
heavy boots, and that his low forehead was puckered up into an ugly
scowl, with one great wrinkle across it that seemed like another mouth
as he forced me right back against the wall, and held me shivering
there.
"Here, shet that there door, Polly," he said in a low harsh growl, like
the snarl of a wild beast. Then to me: "Here, what d'yer mean a-comin' in here, eh?"
He accompanied his words with a fierce shake that made the back of my
head tap against the wall.
For a few moments the man's savage look seemed to fascinate me, and I
felt horribly alarmed, as I could think for the moment about nothing but
the Ogre and Hop-o'-my-thumb, and wonder whether he was going to take
out a big knife and threaten me. I was still panting and breathless
with my exertions, and there was a curious pain in my legs, mingled with
a sensation as if they were going to double up under me, but I made an
effort to be brave as the great heavy-browed scoundrel gave me another
shake, and said:-"D'yer hear? What d'yer mean by banging into my room like that 'ere?"
I glanced at a sad-faced dull-eyed slatternly woman who had closed the
door, and then at the boy, who still crouched close up under the window,
whimpering like a whipped dog, but keenly watching all that was going on
with his sharp restless dark eyes; then, making a determined attempt to
be braver than I looked, I said as stoutly as I could: "I want our new rope. He stole our new rope."