Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/406

392 o)2 FL UT TER-D UCK.

Suddenly, in the weird stillness, they heard a fluttering and a skurrying, and, looking up, they saw a great white thing floating through the room. Flutter-Duck uttered a terrible cry. " Hear, O Israel ! " she shrieked.

" Nee, nee," said Lewis reassuringly, though scarcely less startled. " It is only the tripha goose got loose."

" Nay, nay, it is the Devil ! " hoarsely whispered Flutter- Duck, who had covered her face with her hands, and was shaking as with palsy.

Her terror communicated itself to her husband. "Hush, hush ! Talk not so," he said, shivering with indefinable awe.

" Say psalms, say psalms ! " panted Flutter-Duck. " Drive him out."

Lewis opened the window, but the unclean bird showed no desire to flit. It was evidently the Not-Good-One himself.

" Hear, O Israel ! " wailed Flutter-Duck. " Since he came in this morning everything has been upside down."

The goose chuckled.

Lewis was seized with a fell terror that gave him a mad courage. Murmuring a holy phrase, he grabbed at the goose, which eluded him, and fluttered flappingly hither and thither. Lewis gave chase, his lips praying mechanically. At last he caught it by a wing, haled it, hissing and struggling and uttering rasping cries, to the window, flung it without, and closed the sash with a bang. Then he fell impotent against the work-table, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

" God be praised ! " said Flutter-Duck, slowly uncovering her eyes. " Now Rachel will come back."

And with renewed hope they waited on, and the deathly silence again possessed the room.

All at once they heard a light step under the window ; the father threw it open and saw a female form outlined in the darkness. There was a rat-tat-tat at the door.