"Matilda," breathed her mistress's voice, and Matilda had enough control not to cry out, or was too far gone.

Clutching hands, they went down the winding stairs that led from the butler's pantry to the kitchen.
"Oh, ma'am, ma'am!" moaned Matilda in the darkness.
"Matilda"-- in awed breathlessness--"isn't this terrible ?" "Oh, ma'am! ma'am!" "If Jack should learn that I am here--" She could not express the horror of it.
"Oh, ma'am!" Mrs.De Peyster's voice rang out with wild desperation.
"Matilda, there is only one thing to do! We must leave the house!" "I think we'd better, ma'am," Matilda snuffled hysterically, "for with all of you here, and this keeping up, I--I don't think I'd last a day, ma'am." "And we must leave at once! We've not a second to spare.

They said they were coming right down.

We must be out of the house before they come!" "Oh, ma'am, yes! This minute! But where--" "There's no time to think of anything now but getting out," cried Mrs.
De Peyster with frantic energy.

"Slip up the front stairway, Matilda, and get your hat.