`` For goodness ' sake do n't say anything about witches so close to her house , '' gasped Felicity . `` I 'll be thankful to get in anywhere . '' We reached the house , climbed the flight of steps that led to that mysterious second story door , and Dan rapped . The door opened promptly and Peg Bowen stood before us , in what seemed exactly the same costume she had worn on the memorable day when we had come , bearing gifts , to propitiate her in the matter of Paddy . `` Behind her was a dim room scantly illumined by the one small candle that had guided us through the storm ; but the old Waterloo stove was colouring the gloom with tremulous , rose-red whorls of light , and warm and cosy indeed seemed Peg 's retreat to us snow-covered , frost-chilled , benighted wanderers . `` Gracious goodness , where did yez all come from ? '' exclaimed Peg . `` Did they turn yez out ? '' `` We 've been over to Baywater , and we got lost in the storm coming back , '' explained Dan . `` We did n't know where we were till we saw your light . I guess we 'll have to stay here till the storm is over -- if you do n't mind . '' `` And if it wo n't inconvenience you , '' said Cecily timidly . `` Oh , it 's no inconvenience to speak of . Come in . Well , yez HAVE got some snow on yez . Let me get a broom . You boys stomp your feet well and shake your coats . You girls give me your things and I 'll hang them up . Guess yez are most froze . Well , sit up to the stove and git het up . ''
Peg bustled away to gather up a dubious assortment of chairs , with backs and rungs missing , and XXXXX a few minutes we were in a circle around her roaring stove , getting dried and thawed out .
Behind about by if in of on through to with