I simply wept with rage and mortification. Aubrey started for the basement with me at his heels. I felt that the Angel could not cope alone with such a situation. We found Mrs. Harris pale, trembling, and apologetic. She said her husband was not there. Aubrey turned away breathing vengeance. "Aubrey," I said, firmly, "Harris is in that room." "No, no, Mrs. Jardine! Indeed he is not!" insisted the little woman. "I am sorry for you, Mrs. Harris," I said, "but you must allow me to see for myself." And with that I made as if to pass her, but Aubrey held me back. "I'll go," he said. He went and found Harris calmly reading the newspaper, with his feet on the mantel. "Why isn't the elevator running?" demanded Aubrey. "Because the hall-boy left this morning, and there was nobody to run it," said the man, impudently keeping his seat, with his hat on, and not even putting his feet on the floor. "Is it broken?" asked my husband. "It is not. I turned the power off, that's all." "Why didn't you run it yourself?" asked Aubrey. "It isn't my business. That's why, young feller. Now you know, don't you!" "Don't you dare speak to my husband in that manner," I broke in. Aubrey shook his head at me. It was cruel of him, for I do love a fight. "You come out this minute and start that elevator," said Aubrey. "I'll do nothing of the sort. You'll walk up those five nights of stairs this night," said the janitor. Oh, how I wished I had that fee back! Mrs. Harris plucked imploringly at my skirt. "Harris, aren't you ashamed of yourself?" I said. "Look at your poor wife just out of bed, and you have lost this good place by this day's work. You and your family will not know where to lay your heads within a week." "And how do you know that? I'll keep this place as long as I please. _I_ stand in with the agent. I suppose you think because you've been good to the children that you can run me, but let me tell you that you've not done half that you should! So you just shut up and go back where you belong." Aubrey made a leap for him, but Mrs. Harris threw herself between them and I fastened myself to Aubrey's coat-tails. This was more than I had bargained for. "No, Aubrey, come. Let us once for all declare our independence. For some time I have suspected that there was collusion between janitors and agents. Now let's get to the bottom of it." By holding out such a prospect to him, I got the Angel up-stairs, where we poured forth our souls in a letter to the agent. He called, listened to us with polite incredulity, and said he would hear Harris's side, as if he wished to judge impartially between two criminals. We held on to ourselves while he consulted the gentleman below stairs. When he came back he said: "Harris denies everything. Now who am I to believe?" For once the Angel rose to the occasion.