They walked down a few streets, till William said: "We'll go into the first house round the corner." William was looking pale, but resolved. Having embarked upon the dangerous venture, he was determined to carry it through. They came to the next house round the corner, and walked up an overshadowed, neglected drive. They slackened speed considerably as they neared the door.
"You'd better do the talkin'," said Ginger faintly, with a propitiatory air. "You're better at talkin' than wot I am."
"Oh, I am, am I!" said William irritably. "Yes, you think so, _don't_ you? Oh, yes, you think so when it's a kind of talkin' you don't want to do! Oh, yes! Huh!"
They stood apprehensively on the front doorstep and gazed at the milk-jug that was standing there.
"Oh, yes," said William, scathing but relieved. "You don't mind doin' the talkin' now, do you? You don't think I'm better at talkin' than wot you are _now_, do you? You don't mind talkin' to a milk-jug. Oh, no!"
"You think you're so clever," said Ginger bitterly. "Who thought of makin' 'em slaves first of all, anyway. Jus' tell me _that_."
"Well, wot good's it done?" retorted William. "Nobody'll buy 'em. Takin' 'em to an ole empty house, wot good's _that_ done? You tell me _that!_"
The argument would have pursued its normal course to physical violence had not George raised his voice plaintively.
With a heroic gesture and lips firmly shut, William raised his hand to the bell and pulled hard. "That'll show 'em!" he said, darkly. The echoes of the bell died slowly away within the house. No sound of human habitation broke the tense silence on the front doorstop.
"Well," said William weakly, "that's _shown_ 'em, anyway!"
Then he peered suddenly into the milk-jug.
Slowly he withdrew the coin, and turned his eyes towards the twins.
"It'll jus' pay for 'em," he said. "They're cheap to-day."
"Want 'em! Of course they want 'em," said William scornfully. "Anyone'd want 'em. Two slaves--cheap at that! I bet they'd have fetched pounds and pounds in historical times. 'S only 'cause they're a bit out of fashion that they've bin sold at sixpence-halfpenny."
At this moment a milk-boy appeared, staggering up the drive, and William hastily put the coin into his pocket.