last every maid in the house came racing up stairs, three steps
at a time, to know what was the matter. Immediately upon seeing the
flames, they all began screaming too, in such a loud discordant way,
that it sounded as if a whole flight of crows had come into the
passages. Never was there such an uproar heard in the house before, for
the walls echoed with a general cry of "Fire! fire! fire!"

Up flew Mrs. Crabtree towards the nursery like a sky-rocket, scolding
furiously, talking louder than all the others put together, and asking
who had set the house on fire, while Harry and Laura scarcely knew
whether to be most frightened for the raging flames, or the raging Mrs.
Crabtree; but, in the meantime, they both shrunk into the smallest
possible size, and hid themselves behind a door.

During all this confusion, Old Andrew luckily remembered, that, in the
morning, there had been a great washing in the laundry, where large tubs
full of water were standing, so he called to the few maids who had any
of their senses remaining, desiring them to assist in carrying up some
buckets, that they might be emptied on the burning beds, to extinguish
the flames if possible. Every body was now in a hurry, and all elbowing
each other out of the way, while it was most extraordinary to see how
old Andrew exerted himself, as if he had been a fireman all his life,
while Mrs. Marmalade, the fat cook, who could hardly carry herself up
stairs in general, actively assisted to bring up the great heavy tubs,
and to pour them out like a cascade upon the burning curtains, till the
nursery-floor looked like a duck pond.

Meantime Harry and Laura added to the confusion as much as they could,
and were busier than anybody, stealing down the back-stairs whenever
Mrs. Crabtree was not in sight, and filling their little jugs with
water, which they brought up, as fast as possible, and dashed upon the
flames, till at last, it is to be feared, they began to feel quite
amused with the bustle, and to be almost sorry when the conflagration
diminished. At one time, Laura very nearly set her own frock on fire, as
she ventured too near, but Harry pulled her back, and then courageously
advanced to discharge a shower from his own little jug, remaining
stationary to watch the effect, till his face was almost scorched.

At last the fire became less and less, till it went totally out, but not
before the nursery furniture had been reduced to perfect ruins, besides
which