He said, "You be one of Parson
Underwood's little chaps, baint you? A rare honest gentleman of the
right sort war he--he war!" and he pulled down another boy and put me
up instead, and told me all about the great fire at Stubbs's factory.
You can't think what fun it was. Roar, roar, up went the flame.
Swish, wish, went the water--such a bellowing--such great clouds of
smoke!'
'Was everybody saved?' whispered Cherry's tremulous murmur.
There was a silence, then Lance said, 'Weren't they?' and Cherry had
another shuddering fit.
'Who?' Wilmet asked.
'Poor Mr. Jones's youngest child and his nursemaid were in an attic
room where nobody could get at them,' said Felix in a hurried and
awe-struck voice, causing Cherry to renew that agony of trembling and
sobbing so convulsive and painful that her elder brother and sister
could only devote themselves to soothing her, till at last she lay
still again in Wilmet's arms, with only a few long gasps coming
quivering up through her frame. Then Wilmet implored Felix to go away
and make Lance go to bed, and finding this the only means of reducing
the little excited fellow to quiet, he went. And though all were sure
they should not sleep, they overslept themselves far into Sunday
morning, except Wilmet, who was wakened by the clamours of the
undisturbed Angela and Bernard, and succeeded in dressing them
without disturbing the other three.
Pages:
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219