Mr Vanslyperken walked round, and as he did so, he heard the door closed
and locked. He looked on the other side of the screen, and, to his
horror, found himself in company with Moggy Salisbury, and about twenty
other females. Vanslyperken made a precipitate retreat to the door, but
he was met by three or four women, who held him fast by the arms.
Vanslyperken would have disgraced himself by drawing his cutlass; but
they were prepared for this, and while two of them pinioned his arms,
one of them drew his cutlass from its sheath, and walked away with it.
Two of the women contrived to hold his arms, while another pushed him in
the rear, until he was brought from behind the screen into the middle of
the room, facing his incarnate enemy, Moggy Salisbury.
"Good evening to you, Mr Vanslyperken," cried Moggy, not rising from
her chair. "It's very kind of you to come and see me in this friendly
way--come, take a chair, and give us all the news."
"Mistress Salisbury, you had better mind what you are about with a
king's officer," cried Vanslyperken, turning more pale at this mockery,
than if he had met with abuse.
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