A few of Mr. Walters's male friends had volunteered their aid in
defence of his house, and their services had been accepted.
Mr. Ellis, whose house was quite indefensible (it being situated in a
neighbourhood swarming with the class of which the mob was composed), had
decided on bringing his family to the house of Mr. Walters, and sharing
with him the fortunes of the night, his wife and daughters having declared
they would feel as safe there as elsewhere; and, accordingly, about five in
the afternoon, Mrs. Ellis came up, accompanied by Kinch and the girls.
Caddy and Kinch, who brought up the rear, seemed very solicitous respecting
the safety of a package that the latter bore in his arms.
"What have you there?" asked Mr. Walters, with a smile; "it must be powder,
or some other explosive matter, you take such wonderful pains for its
preservation. Come, Caddy, tell us what it is; is it powder?"
"No, Mr. Walters, it isn't powder," she replied; "it's nothing that will
blow the house up or burn it down."
"What is it, then? You tell us, Kinch."
"Just do, if you think best," said Caddy, giving him a threatening glance;
whereupon, Master Kinch looked as much as to say, "If you were to put me on
the rack you couldn't get a word out of me.
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