ndow was Wilson. "Is it fire?"
shrieked she, in the most excessive state of terror conceivable. Wilson
had a natural dread of fire--some people do possess this dread more than
others--and had oftentime aroused the house to a commotion by declaring
she smelt it. "Is it fire?" shrieked Wilson.

"Yes!" was shouted at the top of a man's voice, who stepped from between
the entrance pillars to answer.

Wilson waited for no more. Clutching at the baby with one hand--a fine
young gentleman now of near twelve months old, promising fair to be as
great a source of trouble to Wilson and the nursery as was his brother
Archibald, whom he greatly resembled--and at Archie with the other, out
she flew to the corridor screeching "Fire! fire! fire!" never ceasing,
down tore Wilson with the four children, and burst unceremoniously
into the sleeping apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle. By this time the
children, terrified out of their senses, not at Wilson's cry of alarm,
but at the summary propelling downstairs, set up a shrieking, too.
Madame Vine, believing that half the house as least was in flames, was
the next to appear, throwing on a shawl she had caught up, and then came
Joyce.

"Fire! fire! fire!" shouted Wilson; "we are all being burnt up
together!"

Poor Mrs. Carlyle, thus wildly aroused from sleep, sprang out of bed
and into the corridor in her night-dress. Everybody else was in a
night-dress--when folks are flying for dear life, they don't stop to
look for their dress-coats and best blonde caps. Out came Mr. Carlyle,
who has hastily assumed his pantaloons.

He cast a rapid glance down to the hall, and saw that the stairs were
perfectly free for escape; therefore to hurry was not so violent. Every
soul around him was shrieking in concert, making the confusion and din
terrific. The bright moonlight streamed in at the corridor windows, but
there was no other light; shadowy and indistinct enough looked the white
figures.

"Where is the fire?" he exclaimed. "I don't smell any. Who gave the
first alarm?"

The bell answered him. The hall-bell, which rang out ten times louder
and longer than before. He opened one of the windows and leaned from it.
"Who's there?" Madame Vine caught up Archie.

"It's me, sir," responded a voice, which he at once recognized to be
that of one of Mr. Hare's men-servants. "Master has been took in a fit,
sir, and mistress sent me for you and Miss Barbara. You must please make
haste, sir, if you want