.'

George understood his sister better, and, answering her look, said,
'What's the matter, Sarah? Is mother ill?'

Mr Clay looked anxiously at her. In his egotism he had not thought of his
timid little wife, whom all this might well have made ill; but that he
was not devoid of regard for her Sarah saw by his face.

'No, it's not mother; it's Balmoral.--Father, I thought you knew,' she
stammered.

'Knew what? Speak out, girl. What's happened there. Nothing short of an
earthquake could harm it; it's well enough protected.'

'It's burning, father,' Sarah blurted out.

The mill-owner looked at her unbelievingly, and laughed his boisterous
laugh. 'Burning! Nonsense! They couldn't get near it to damage it. Why,
there's fifty police up there guarding it, and a pretty penny it's
costing me--a pretty penny all this.'

Sarah looked pitifully at her father. 'They dropped fire from an
air-ship, father; but Uncle Howroyd and all his hands have gone up there
to try to put it out,' she hastened to add, for her father's face
terrified her.

He took no more notice of her; but turning to George, on whom he seemed
all of a sudden to rely, he said,' What does the girl mean with her
cock-and-bull story of an air-ship setting my house on fire? Why should
an air-ship'----He paused. 'How could they get an air-ship?' he
continued.

'Perhaps I'd better go to the lookout, father,' said George.--Come,
Sarah;' and he took his sister by the hand and hastened along the
dye-yard towards the spiral staircase to the lookout.

The mill-owner let them go without a word, not attempting to follow them,
for it was an arduous climb to the lookout, and the mill-owner was a
stout and heavy-built man, and had not been up there for years. He stood
for a little as if puzzled, then went to the entrance-yard to the porter,
and asked, 'Have you seen or heard aught of any fire at Balmoral?'

'No, sir; not except what Miss Clay said,' he replied.

Meanwhile Sarah was breathlessly hastening up the stairs, and telling
George all that had happened.

'Why didn't you tell us before?' he demanded.

'Because we never imagined you didn't know. I thought every one in the
town knew, and mother did try to telephone to you, but she couldn't make
any one hear,' explained Sarah.

George groaned, but made no more reproaches, and soon they came out on
the lookout.

The flames were still raging, though not so high. Evidently the petrol
had burnt out; but not so th