Cloudy had outgrown it! It had fitted him nicely at sixteen, now he
was twenty-one, and in two years more he would be home again! Smiling to
herself, and tossing her charming head, as at some invisible foe, she
said:

"Yes, indeed. I should so like to see them marry me to that ogre Grim!"

She pressed the cloth up to her face, and put it away, and, still
smiling to herself, retired to rest, to dream of her dear playmate.

She dreamed of being in his ship on the open sea, the scene idealized to
supernatural beauty and sublimity, as all such scenes are in dreams; and
then she thought the ship took fire, and she saw, and heard, and felt
the great panic and horror that ensued.

She woke in a terrible fright. A part of her dream was true! Her
chamber was filled with smoke, and the house was chaotic with noise
and confusion, and resounded with cries of "Fire! Fire!" everywhere.
What happened next passed with the swiftness of lightning. She jumped
out of bed, seized a woolen shawl, and wrapped it around her head, and
even in that imminent danger not forgetting her most cherished
treasure--Cloudy's suit of uniform--snatched it from the wardrobe and
fled out of the room. Her swift and dipping motion that had gained her
the name of "Lapwing" now served her well. Shooting her bright head
forward and downward, she fled through all the passages and down all the
stairs and out by the great hall, that was all in flames, until she
reached the lawn, where the panic-stricken and nearly idiotic household
were assembled, weeping, moaning and wringing their hands, while they
gazed upon the work of destruction before them in impotent despair!

Jacquelina looked all around the group, each figure of which glared
redly in the light of the flames. All were present--all but the
commodore! Where could the commodore be?

Jacquelina ran through the crowd looking for him in all directions. He
was nowhere visible, though the whole area was lighted up, even to the
edge of the forest, every tree and branch and twig and leaf of which was
distinctly revealed in the strong, red glare.

"Where is uncle? Oh! where is uncle?" she exclaimed, running wildly
about, and finally going up to Mrs. Waugh, who stood looking, the statue
of consternation.

Jacquelina shook her by the arm.

"Aunty! aunty! Where is uncle? Are you bewitched? Where is uncle?"

"Where? Here, somewhere. I saw him run out before me."

"No, you didn't! You mistook somebody else for