could get his left thumb on one particular
spot, and then placing his right forefinger on the plan beneath the
lamp. "See that?"

"That?" cried Deering, leaning over the table a little, as he sat facing
the place lately occupied by Vane. "That?" he said again, excitedly,
and then changing his tone, "Oh, nonsense, boy, only a fly-spot in the
plan, or a tiny speck of ink."

"Yes, smudged," cried Vane; "but, look here," and he doubled the tracing
down on the table; "but they've made it into a little stop-cock here."

"What?" roared Deering.

"And if that wasn't in your machine, of course it blew up same as my
waterpipes did in the conservatory, and wrecked the kitch--"

Vane did not finish his sentence, for the inventor sprang up with the
edge of the table in his hands, throwing up the top and sending the lamp
off on to the floor with a crash, while he fell backward heavily into
his chair, as if seized by a fit.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

MRS. LEE IS INCREDULOUS.

"Help, help," cried Aunt Hannah, excitedly, as the lamp broke on the
floor, and there was a flash of flame as the spirit exploded, some
having splashed into the fire, and for a few minutes it seemed as if the
fate of the Little Manor was sealed.

But Vane only stared for a moment or two aghast at the mischief, and
then seized one end of the blazing hearthrug. Mr Deering seized the
other, and moved by the same impulse, they shot the lamp into the
hearth, turned the rug over, and began trampling upon it to put out the
flame.

"Get Mrs Lee out," shouted Deering. "Here, Vane, the table cover;
fetch mats."

The fire was still blazing up round the outside of the rug; there was a
rush of flame up the chimney from the broken lamp; and the room was
filling fast with a dense black evil-smelling smoke.

But Vane worked well as soon as the doctor had half carried out Mrs
Lee, and kept running back with door-mats from the hall; and he was on
his way with the dining-room hearthrug, when Martha's voice came from
kitchen-ward, full of indignation:

"Don't tell me," she said evidently to Eliza, "it's that boy been at his
sperriments again, and it didn't ought to be allowed."

Vane did not stop to listen, but bore in the great heavy hearthrug.

"Here, Vane, here," cried the doctor; and the boy helped to spread it
over a still blazing patch, and trampled it close just as Aunt Hannah
and Eliza appeared with wash-hand jug of water and Martha with a pail.

"N