"Surely we can have plenty of hands. There used to be twenty-five servants here; and I have not heard that my uncle has lessened the number." "No, Miss; but save and keep us, we shan’t get one of them here." "Nonsense! I will have them, or they leave the house. Of course I won’t peril their lives. We shall only want two or three; and they may take a bath of disinfecting stuff, with all their clothes on, before they come; and they may smoke all the while." The nurse laughed grimly, and shook her gray head. "And we will fumigate, Jane, fumigate tremendously. Surely Englishmen have more self-respect than to be such babies, and you a woman, and I a girl, shaming them out of face." "It doesn’t matter, Miss; they won’t come. I know them well, the lot I mean that are in the house now." "Very well, Jane, we’ll have Gamekeeper Hiatt, and his eldest son; they are men I know. And if that is not enough, we’ll send to Gloucester for Thomas Henwood. But why don’t you open the lobby door, as I told you?" "If you please, Miss, I can’t. They have fastened it outside." "Do you mean to say that they have dared to lock us in?" "Indeed I do, Miss; we have been fastened in since the morning." "And pray, why did you not tell me?’ "Because I feared to excite you, Miss. I know your temper when you are wronged, ever since you was that high; and in this fever air, excitement is sure to kill you. Brutes! But I suppose they don’t know it." "They know it well; at least the master-spirit does. And for that very reason I will crush my indignation. Since I was that high, Jane, I have passed through much tribulation, and have dropped my lady-heiress tone. I can now command myself." "Then, Miss, I will show you what they sent this morning, round the handle of the coffee-jug. I was afraid to let you see it before." She gave me a twist of paper, on which was written as follows:-- "For the safety of the household, Mrs. Fletcher orders that the persons in the fever-room be allowed no communication with the other servants. The intercepting door is fastened, because a most sinful un-Christian act was perpetrated last night. Due supplies will be delivered once a-day, at 10 A.M. No empty vessels and no correspondence received. Any attempt to break these rules will be punished by suspension of supplies. Servants are forbidden to come beneath the sick-room windows. May the Lord have you in His keeping, in His tender mercy, according to His holy will. You are requested to read Philippians i. 8-11 inclusive. There are three holy bibles on the drawers and dressing-tables."