Mr. Piper put on his shoes and his coat, and, seizing his cane,
emerged upon the landing. He espied a female servant just coming
upstairs.
"Here, you Bridget, or Nancy, or whatever your name is," he
roared, "there's a lunatic upstairs, making a tremendous row in
the room over mine. If you don't stop him I'll leave the hotel.
Hear him now!"
Bridget let fall her duster in fright.
"Is it a crazy man?" she asked.
"Of course he must be. I want you to go up and stop him."
"Is it me that would go near a crazy man?" exclaimed Bridget,
horror-struck; "I wouldn't do it for a million dollars; no, I
wouldn't."
"I insist upon your going up," said Mr. Piper, irritably. "He
must be stopped. Do you think I am going to stand such an
infernal thumping over my head?"
"I wouldn't do it if you'd go down on your knees to me," said
Bridget, fervently.
"Come along, I'll go with you."
But the terrified girl would not budge.
"Then you go down and tell your master there's a madman up here.
If you don't, I will."
This Bridget consented to do; and, going downstairs, gave a not
very coherent account of the disturbance. Three male servants
came back with her.
"Is that the man?" asked the first, pointing to Mr.
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