o, no," cried the doctor; "no water. The fire is trampled out."

The danger was over, and they all stood panting by the hall-door, which
was opened to drive out the horrible black smoke.

"Why, Vane, my boy," cried the doctor, as the lad stood nursing his
hands, "not burned?"

"Yes, uncle, a little," said Vane, who looked as if he had commenced
training for a chimney-sweep; "just a little. I shan't want any excuse
for not going to the rectory for a few days."

"Humph!" muttered the doctor, as Mr Deering hurried into the smoke to
fetch out his drawings and plans; "next guest who comes to my house had
better not be an inventor." Then aloud: "But what does this mean, Vane,
lad, are you right?"

"Right?--yes," cried Deering, reappearing with his blackened plans,
which he bore into the dining-room, and then, regardless of his sooty
state, he caught the doctor's hands in his and shook them heartily
before turning to Aunt Hannah, who was looking despondently at her
ruined drawing-room.

"Never mind the damage, Mrs Lee," he cried, as he seized her hands.
"It's a trifle. I'll furnish your drawing-room again."

"Oh, Mr Deering," she said, half-tearfully, half in anger, "I do wish
you would stop in town."

"Hannah, my dear!" cried the doctor. Then, turning to Deering: "But;
look here, has Vane found out what was wrong?"

"Found out?" cried Deering, excitedly; "why, his sharp young eyes
detected the one little bit of grit in the wheel that stopped the whole
of the works. Lee, my dear old friend, I can look you triumphantly in
the face again, and say that your money is not lost, for I can return
it, tenfold--Do you hear, Mrs Lee, tenfold, twentyfold, if you like;
and as for you--You black-looking young rascal!" he cried, turning and
seizing Vane's hand, "if you don't make haste and grow big enough to
become my junior partner, why I must take you while you are small."

"Oh, oh!" shouted Vane; "my hands, my hands!"

"And mine too," said Deering, releasing Vane's hands to examine his own.
"Yes, I thought I had burned my fingers before, but I really have this
time. Doctor, I place myself and my future partner in your hands."

Aunt Hannah forgot her blackened and singed hearthrugs and broken lamp
as soon as she realised that there was real pain and suffering on the
way, and busily aided the doctor as he bathed and bandaged the rather
ugly burns on Vane's and Mr Deering's hands. And at last, the smoke
having been dri