"How much is it, Mr. Marks?" she said; and when he told she paid him from her little purse, and bade him good morning. She watched until he was well out of sight, and then she went to unlock the door of the morning-room. CHAPTER V ANOTHER ATTEMPT When the Misses Flint saw the door shut behind Ladybird, and heard the key click in the lock, they could believe neither their eyes nor their ears. Miss Priscilla rose and walked majestically to the door and turned the knob, fully expecting the door would open. But it would not open, of course, being locked, and the good lady, almost stupefied with anger and amazement, uttered an explosive and exasperated "Well!" and dropped into the nearest chair. Miss Dorinda responded with a terrified and apprehensive "Well!" and then the two sisters sat and stared blankly at each other. Miss Dorinda spoke first, timidly. "Priscilla, don't you think perhaps it is our duty to give a home to Lavinia's child?" "Duty!" exclaimed the elder sister, in a tense, restrained voice. "Duty! To keep such a vixen as that in our house? No! I confess I had some such thought during the night; but now I have only one desire, and that is, to get rid of her." "Yes," said Miss Dorinda, sighing; "of course she can't stay after this; but she seems very affectionate and loving." "Affectionate! Loving! Dorinda Flint, what are you talking about? Do you call it affectionate to lock us helplessly in this room?" "No; but that was impulsive, and because she wants to stay here. I don't think she is really a vicious child." "Well, I don't want to think anything about her!" Miss Priscilla took up a newspaper and pretended to read, so desirous was she of not appearing defeated; and, indeed, she would have stayed quietly in that room all day rather than call for assistance, or in any way show that she was at the mercy of her erratic niece. Miss Dorinda was as much perturbed as her sister, but she made no effort to hide it. She fluttered about the room, looked out of the window, tried the door-knob, and at last sat down in a big rocking-chair and began to rock violently. Suddenly the door burst open and Ladybird came flying in. "Aunties," she cried, "the house is on fire! What do you want to save most?" "Mercy on us!" cried Miss Priscilla, rushing from the room, "let me get my Lady Washington geranium. The buds are just ready to open." "Where is it? I'll get it," said Ladybird, dancing around in great excitement. "Up-stairs, on a stand by the south-room window; but you can't go up--you'll be burned to death." "No, I won't," screamed Ladybird, already half-way up-stairs; "I'll get it. What do _you_ want, Aunt Dorinda?" "I don't know,--everything! Oh, my lace handkerchief," called the distracted lady. "And get some of your own things; and bring our fire-gowns." Meantime volumes of smoke rolled into the hall through the dining-room door.