g been brought, a brave fireman goes up it, and apparently never
comes down again (burned to ashes also, I fancy); but young Auberly, who
went up before him, and fell--heat and suffocation being the result--
saved some one named `her' in his arms; his name being Frank (owing no
doubt to his having been re-baptised, for ever since I knew him he has
been named Frederick), and he is this boy's brother-in-law!"

By way of putting an extremely fine point on her sarcasm, Miss Deemas
turned to Willie, with a very condescending air, and said:

"Pray, when did your sister marry Mr Frederick Auberly?"

Willie, with a face of meekness, that can only be likened to that of a
young turtle-dove, replied:

"Please, ma'am, it isn't my sister as has married Mr Auberly; but it's
my brother, Frank Willders, as hopes to marry Miss Loo Auberly, on
account o' havin' saved her life, w'en she comes of age, ma'am."

Miss Deemas stood aghast, or rather sat aghast, on receiving this reply,
and scanned Willie's face with one of her most eagle glances; but that
small piece of impudence wore an expression of weak good-nature, and
winked its eyes with the humility of a subdued pup, while Miss Tippet
looked half-horrified and half-amused; Matty grinned, and Emma squeaked
through her nose.

"Boy," said Miss Deemas severely, "your looks belie you."

"Yes, ma'am," answered Willie, "my mother always said I wasn't half so
bad as I looked; and she's aware that I'm absent from home."

At this point Willie allowed a gleam of intelligence to shoot across his
face, and he winked to Emma, who thereupon went into private convulsions
in her handkerchief.

"Emelina," said Miss Deemas solemnly, "let me warn you against that boy.
He is a bad specimen of a bad sex. He is a precocious type of that
base, domineering, proud and perfidious creature that calls itself `lord
of creation,' and which, in virtue of its superior physical power, takes
up every position in life worth having," ("except that of wife and
mother," meekly suggested Miss Tippet), "_worth having_" (repeated the
eagle sternly, as if the position of wife and mother were _not_ worth
having), "worth having, and leaves nothing for poor weak-bodied, though
not weak-minded woman to do, except sew and teach brats. Bah! I hate
men, and they hate _me_, I know it, and I would not have it otherwise.
I wish they had never been made. I wish there had been none in the
world but women. What a blessed world