n."

"Fit for duty, young man!" exclaimed Miss Tippet; "do you mean to say
that you will return to your dreadful profession when you recover? Have
you not received warning enough?"

"Why, madam," said Frank, "some one must look after the fires, you know,
else London would be in ashes in a few months; and I like the work."

"Like the work!" cried Miss Tippet, in amazement; "like to be almost
smoked to death, and burned alive, and tumbled off roofs, and get upset
off what's-its-names, and fall down fire--fire--things, and break all
your legs and arms!"

"Well--no, I don't like all that," said Frank, laughing; "but I like the
vigour and energy that are called forth in the work, and I like the
object of the work, which is to save life and property. Why," exclaimed
Frank enthusiastically, "it has all the danger and excitement of a
soldier's life without the bloody work, and with better ends in view."

"Nay, nay, Frank," said the peaceful Mrs Willders, "you must not say
`better ends,' because it is a great and glorious thing to defend one's
native land."

"A very just observation," said Miss Tippet, nodding approval.

"Why, mother, who would have expected to hear _you_ standing up for the
red-coats in this fashion?" said Frank.

"I stand up for the blue-jackets too," observed Mrs Willders meekly;
"they fight for their country as well."

"True, mother," rejoined Frank; "but I did not refer to ultimate ends, I
only thought of the immediate results in connection with those engaged.
The warrior fights, and, in so doing, destroys life and property. The
fireman fights, and in doing so protects and preserves both."

"Hear! hear!" interrupted Willie; "but the copy-book says `Comparisons
are _odiows_!' don't it? Mother, here's a fathom and two inches or so
of humanity as wants me to go with him to Mr Auberly. I s'pose Frank
can get along without me for a little while--eh?"

"Certainly, my son; why does he want you?"

"Don't know. P'raps he's goin' to offer to make me his secretary. But
you don't seem at all alarmed at the prospect of my being carried off by
a flunkey."

"You'll come back, dearie, I doubt not."

"Don't you? Oh, very well; then I'll just look after myself. If I
don't return, I'll advertise myself in the _Times_. Good-bye."

Willie returned to the door and announced that he was ready to go.

"But where is William?" asked Hopkins.

"Mister William Willders stands before you," said the boy, pl