“What is it? What's the matter, Zuby?” he demanded.
Mr. Hungerford, paralyzed with astonishment and dizzy from the slap, had moved, injudiciously. Laban heard him.
“Hey?” he bellowed. “Ah! I've got him. Stand still, dum you! I've got him, Zuby. Who is he? What did he do?”
“I--I don't know who he is,” panted the frightened housekeeper. “He--he kissed me.”
“It's a mistake!” cried Cousin Percy, frantically struggling in the grasp of his captor. “I--Stop! Stop! Help! Help!”
The hall became a pandemonium of thumps, struggles, cries for help, and pleas for mercy. Azuba added her shrieks to the tumult. From above Captain Dan shouted and Serena screamed. Then the chandelier blazed. Gertrude had pressed the button at the top of the stairs.
“Let him be!” ordered the young lady, rushing to the rescue. “Don't! don't! Azuba, stop him!”
“Labe! stop! stop!” pleaded the housekeeper. “You--My soul! it's Mr. Hungerford.”
It was what there was left of Mr. Hungerford. Mr. Ginn extended the disheveled, whimpering remnant at arm's length and regarded it.
“Humph!” he grunted. “You know him, do you?”
“Know him! Of course I do. But--but I must say--”
Captain Dan came tearing down the stairs, his bathrobe fluttering and a slipper missing. In one hand he held a pair of scissors, the only offensive weapon which he had found available at the moment.
“What in blazes?” he demanded. “Burglars, is it?”
Gertrude answered. “No, Daddy,” she said gravely. “It's no one but Cousin Percy. And--and Mr. Ginn. Why, Mr. Ginn, is--is it you?”
Laban nodded. “It's me, all right,” he observed grimly. “Who the devil is this? That's what I want to know.”
“Why--why, Percy!” he gasped. “What--what's happened to you? Let go of him, Labe Ginn! Percy Hungerford, what--what's all this?”
Mr. Hungerford, suddenly freed from the grasp upon his torn shirt collar, staggered against the wall.
“It's--it's a mistake,” he panted. “I--I--this--this blackguard assaulted me. I--I--”
“Assaulted you! I should say he had. Labe Ginn, what did you assault him for?”
“Blackguard, am I?” he growled. “Humph! Well, if he starts to callin' me names, I'll--”
“Belay! Answer me! What have you been doin' to him? Look at him! What do you mean by assaultin' him that way?”