'
'We can only see out in the street,' added Felix, opening the door as
he spoke; and that moment out flew Lance, before anybody had thought
of stopping him, and the necessity of pursuing the little fellow into
the throng, and keeping him out of danger, made both Felix and Mr.
Audley dash after him; while Wilmet, abashed at the men hurrying by,
could not even gaze from the door, but fled upstairs in terror lest
the two little ones should be awake and crying at the appalling red
light and the din, which seemed to her one continuous roar of 'Fire!
fire!'
To her great relief, they were still asleep, but Cherry was in a
chilled agony of trembling prayer for the 'poor people,' and the
sisters crouched up together shivering in each other's arms as they
watched the rush of flames streaming up into the sky over the brew-
house opposite to them.
Presently Wilmet heard feet again downstairs. 'Cherry dear, I must go
down, they may want me. Indeed, I don't think there is real danger as
long as that brew-house is safe.'
There was a scuffle of feet that frightened her very much. She
remembered it last Michaelmas when her father was brought home from
church, and as she stood on the stairs--one choking petition in her
heart, 'Let it not be Felix!' she saw that the figure, whatever it
was, was carried by Mr.
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