the first
person to be considered, Ella. I'll try and smooth it over with them,
and if they choose to be offended, why, they must--that's all. And I
tell you what. Suppose we go and see the house now, and you shall tell
me just what wants doing to make it right?'

She would have liked to decline this rather invidious office, especially
as she felt no compromise to be possible; but he was so urgent that she
finally agreed to go with him.

As they gained Campden Hill and the road in which their house stood,
George stopped. 'Hullo!' he said, 'that can't be the house--what's the
matter with it?'

Very soon it was pretty evident what had been the matter--the walls were
scorched and streaming, the window sashes were empty, charred and wasted
by fire, the door was blistered and blackened, a stalwart fireman in
his undress cap, with his helmet slung at his back, was just opening the
gate as they came up.

'Can't come in, sir,' he said, civilly enough. 'No one admitted.'

'Hang it!' exclaimed George, 'it's my own fire--I'm the tenant.'

'Oh, I beg your pardon, sir--it's been got under some hours now. I was
just going off duty.'

'Much damage done?' inquired George laconically.

'Well, you see, sir,' said the man, evidently considering how to prepare
George for the worst, 'we didn't get the call till the house was well
alight, and there was three steamers and a manual a-playing on it,
so--well, you must expect things to be a bit untidy-like inside. But the
walls and the roof ain't much damaged.'

'And how did it happen?--the house isn't even occupied.'

'Workmen,' said the man. 'Someone was in there early this morning and
left the gas escaping somewheres, and as likely as not a light burning
near--and here you are. Well, I'll be off, sir; there's nothing more to
be done 'ere. Good-day, sir, and thank ye, I'm sure.'

'Oh, George!' said Ella, half crying, 'our poor, poor little house! It
seems like a judgment on me. How _can_ you laugh! Who will build it up
for us now?'

'Who? Why, the insurance people, to be sure! You see, the firm are
agents for the "Curfew," and as soon as I got all the furniture in I
insured the whole concern and got a protection note, so we're all right.
Don't worry, little girl. Why, don't you see this gets us out of our
difficulty? We can start afresh now without offending anybody. Look
there; there's that idiot of a plumber who's done all the mischief--a
nice funk he'll be in when he sees us