He ran first to the cellar, to warn the girl not to be frightened at the avengers of wickedness. Then he called to Lina to bring in her friends. One after another they came trooping in, till the cellar seemed full of them. The housemaid regarded them without fear. "Sir," she said, "there is one of the pages I don't take to be a bad fellow." "Then keep him near you," said Curdie. "And now can you show me a way to the king's chamber not through the servants' hall?" "There is a way through the chamber of the colonel of the guard," she answered, "but he is ill, and in bed." "Take me that way," said Curdie. By many ups and downs and windings and turnings she brought him to a dimly-lighted room, where lay an elderly man asleep. His arm was outside the coverlid, and Curdie gave his hand a hurried grasp as he went by. His heart beat for joy, for he had found a good, honest human hand. "I suppose that is why he is ill," he said to himself. It was now close upon supper-time, and when the girl stopped at the door of the king's chamber, he told her to go and give the servants one warning more. "Say the messenger sent you," he said. "I will be with you very soon." The king was still asleep. Curdie talked to the princess for a few minutes, told her not to be frightened whatever noises she heard, only to keep her door locked till he came, and left her. CHAPTER XXVI. THE VENGEANCE. By the time the girl reached the servants' hall they were seated at supper. A loud, confused exclamation arose when she entered. No one made room for her; all stared with unfriendly eyes. A page, who entered the next minute by another door, came to her side. "Where do _you_ come from, hussy?" shouted the butler, and knocked his fist on the table with a loud clang. He had gone to fetch wine, had found the stair door broken open and the cellar-door locked, and had turned and fled. Amongst his fellows, however, he had now regained what courage could be called his. "From the cellar," she replied. "The messenger broke open the door, and sent me to you again." "The messenger! Pooh! What messenger?" "The same who sent me before to tell you to repent." "What! will you go fooling it still? Haven't you had enough of it?" cried the butler in a rage, and starting to his feet, drew near threateningly. "I must do as I am told," said the girl. "Then why _don't_ you do as _I_ tell you, and hold your tongue?" said the butler. "Who wants your preachments? If anybody here has anything to repent of, isn't that enough--and more than enough for him--but you must come bothering about, and stirring up, till not a drop of quiet will settle inside him? You come along with me, young woman; we'll see if we can't find a lock somewhere in the house that'll hold you in!" "Hands off, Mr. Butler!" said the page, and stepped between. "Oh, ho!" cried the butler, and pointed his fat finger at him. "That's you, is it, my fine fellow? So it's you that's up to her tricks, is it?"