''I don''t know,'' said Maud. ''I have not asked her. Are you a papist, Susan?''
I didn''t know what that was. But I said, ''No, miss. I don''t think so.''
Mr Lilly at once put his hand across his ear.
''I don''t care for her voice,'' he said. ''Can''t she be silent? Can''t she be soft?''
Maud smiled. ''She can, Uncle,'' she said.④思④兔④在④線④閱④讀④
''Then why is she here, disturbing me now?''
''She has come to fetch me.''
''To fetch you?'' he said. ''Did the clock sound?''
He put his hand to the fob of his waistcoat and drew out an ancient great gold repeater, tilting his head to catch the chime, and opening his mouth. I looked at Maud, who stood, still fumbling with the fastening of her glove; and I took a step, meaning to help her. But when he saw me do that, the old man jerked like Mr Punch in the puppet-show, and out came his black tongue.
''The finger, girl!'' he cried. ''The finger! The finger!''
He held his own dark finger to me, and shook his pen until the ink flew: I saw later that the piece of carpet underneath his desk was quite black, and so guessed he shook his pen rather often. But at that moment he looked so strange, and spoke so shrilly, my heart quite failed me. I thought he must be prone to fits. I took another step,