As to their character and intentions, I
should think that is pretty legible upon their faces. They look a pair
of beauties, don't they?"
"But I cannot understand in the least where they are," said Robert,
staring into the mirror. "One of them has taken to butting his head
against the wall. No, he is bending so that the other may stand
upon his back. He is up there now, and the light is shining upon his
face. What a bewildered ruffianly face it is too. I should so like to
sketch it. It would be a study for the picture I am thinking of
of the Reign of Terror."
"I have caught them in my patent burglar trap," said Haw. "They are my
first birds, but I have no doubt that they will not be the last. I will
show you how it works. It is quite a new thing. This flooring is now
as strong as possible, but every night I disconnect it. It is
done simultaneously by a central machine for every room on the
ground-floor. When the floor is disconnected one may advance three or
four steps, either from the window or door, and then that whole part
turns on a hinge and slides you into a padded strong-room beneath, where
you may kick your heels until you are released. There is a central
oasis between the hinges, where the furniture is grouped for the night.
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