She turned towards the kitchen stairs; screamed “Susan! Kate! Jane! Susan!”
Small need to bellow. Around the staircase corner three white-capped heads--Kate holding back Susan, Susan restraining Jane, Jane holding Kate--had been with delighted eyes and straining ears bathing in this rare scene. With glad unanimity they broke their restraint one upon the other; crushed pell-mell, hustling up the narrow stairs.
Mrs. Chater plumped back into a chair; with huge hands fanned her heated face. “Fetch a policeman!”
Bob's swollen countenance came over the banisters. He roared “Stop!”
Kate, Jane and Susan swung between the conflicting authorities.
“Call a policeman! Summon a constable! Fetch an officer!” In gusty breaths from behind Mrs. Chater's hands, working like a red paddle-wheel, came the commands.
“Stop!” roared Bob; and to enforce pushed forward the battered face till it stuck out flat over the hall.
His alarmed mother screamed: “Bob, you'll fall over the banisters!”
The two kept up a battledore and shuttlecock of agitated conversation.
“Well, stop those women!” Bob cried; “for God's sake, stop them, mother! What on earth are you thinking of?”
“You can't, you can't. Oh, my God, what a house this is!”
“She never touched me. Why don't you do as I told you? Why don't you send her away?”
“Mercy, Bob! you'll fall and kill yourself!”
“Well, put back your head! Put back your head.”
Mrs. Chater stopped the paddle-wheel; rose to her feet. Bob's ghastly face drew in to safer limits. She addressed Mary: “Again my boy has interceded for you. Oh, how you must feel!” She addressed the maids: “Is her box packed?”
They chorused “Yes”; pointed, and Mary saw her tin box, corded, set against the wall.
“Call a cab,” Mrs. Chater commanded; and as the whistle blew she turned again upon Mary.
“Now, miss, you may go. I pack you off as you deserve. But before you go--”
The battered face shot out again above the banisters: “Pay her her wages and send her away, mother. Do, for goodness' sake, send her away!”
“Wages! Certainly not! Mercy! Your head again! Go back, Bob!”
The maddened, pain-racked Bob bellowed: “Oh, stop it! stop it! I shall go mad in a minute. She is entitled to her wages. Pay her.”
“Well, I will. Susan! Susan, come up here and take this money. How much is it?”