Leering
fiercely at Mary, not pretending to see me, he wiped his mouth hurriedly
with the back of his hand, and growled--
'Drop it.'
'Open it, please, Mr. Crowle,' said Mary, renouncing the task.
Crowle wiped his mouth as before, looking inauspicious; shuffling to the
spot, and muttering to himself, he first satisfied himself that the lock
was fast, and then lodged the key in his coat-pocket, and still muttering,
retraced his steps.
'We want the gate open, please,' said Mary.
No answer.
'Miss Maud wants to go into the town,' she insisted.
'We wants many a thing we can't get,' he growled, stepping into his
habitation.
'Please open the gate,' I said, advancing.
He half turned on his threshold, and made a dumb show of touching his hat,
although he had none on.
'Can't, ma'am; without an order from master, no one goes out here.'
'You won't allow me and my maid to pass the gate?' I said.
''Tisn't _me_, ma'am,' said he; 'but I can't break orders, and no one goes
out without the master allows.'
And without awaiting further parley, he entered, shutting his hatch behind
him.
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