The head abruptly disappeared.

There was a noise as of floor-rugs being vigorously beaten, the door opened, and the most extraordinary figure was shot out into the street.

The head which I had seen certainly came first, but so lengthy a body followed that it seemed a vain thing to expect legs in addition.

Yet, finally, two appeared, each of which would have made a decent body of itself, and went whirling across the street till the whole monstrosity came violently into collision with the walls of the house opposite, which seemed to rock to its very foundations under the assault.
A decent serving-man, in a semi-doctorial livery of black cloth, with a large white collar laid far over his shoulders, and cuffs of the same upon his wrists, stood in the open doorway and smiled apologetically at the visitor.

He was rather red in the face and panted with his exertions.
"I ask your pardon, young sir," he said.