I was frightened, for fear a
spark might have fallen among the straw somewhere, and spent some time
feeling around to find the candlestick and to wait to see if a spark
_had_ lighted the straw; and then, before I could cry out, I heard the
footsteps pass the door and give it a pull and turn the key! Father
always does that, but this was not father. I believe it was Captain
Rheid, father left a message for him and expected him to call, and I
suppose, out of habit, as he passed the door he shut it and locked it. I
could not shout in time, he was so quick about it, and then he went out
and shut the outside door hard.
"I think I turned to stone for awhile, or fainted away, but when I came
to myself there I stood, with the candlestick in my hand, all in the
dark. I could not think what to do. I could not find the outside doors,
they are trap doors, you know, and have to be pushed up, and in winter
the steps are taken down, and I don't know where they are put. I had the
candle, it is true, but I had no match. I don't know what I did do. My
first thought was to prowl around and find the steps and push up one of
the doors, and I prowled and prowled and prowled till I was worn out. The
windows--small windows, too,--are filled up with straw or something in
winter, so that it was as dark as a dungeon; it _was_ a dungeon and
I was a prisoner.
"If I hadn't wanted the apples, or if the light hadn't gone out, or if
Captain Rheid hadn't come, or if he hadn't locked the door! Would I have
to stay till Josie came? And if I pounded and screamed wouldn't she be
frightened and run away?
"After prowling around and hitting myself and knocking myself I stood
still again and wondered what to do! I wanted to scream and cry, but that
wouldn't have done any good and I should have felt more alone than ever
afterward.
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