nd the firemen had gained access to her room through the window from
which the smoke was first seen bursting, thus giving the alarm of fire
to the neighbourhood. She was quite insensible, partly from the effects
of drink, and partly from being half-suffocated with smoke; but she soon
recovered, while the effects of the mischief she had wrought lighted
upon other and more innocent heads. It was an old rickety house, and the
landlord had determined on putting it into thorough order, as otherwise
it ran the risk of tumbling to pieces altogether. He had therefore given
notice to all his tenants to quit; and they had done so, with the
exception of the woman I have mentioned, who caused the fire, and a very
respectable widow, who, with five children, occupied the attics. These
women had been allowed to stay two or three weeks after the tenants of
the first floor had left, because they had not succeeded in getting
houses to suit them; and the work of patching up the old house not
having yet been begun, they had remained in it on sufferance. The
opening of the window gave the fire the draught which was all it wanted
to gain fresh strength for its fatal work; and in two or three minutes
after the unfortunate woman who had caused it had been carried out, the
flame might be seen leaping upwards with fearful force and rapidity, as
if furious at having been disappointed of its prey. I had been spending
the evening with a friend, and had to pass the alley where the fire was;
and as the house was very near the end of it, I could see and hear what
was going on without being in the very thick of the crowd.

It was a fearful but a glorious sight. The night was frosty and clear;
and as the flames darted out of the windows, and threw out showers of
sparks, the bright red glare of the fire made the sky in relief seem of
the most intense dark blue. Some one told me that the house was empty,
so I was rather enjoying the grand beauty of the scene, when, hearing a
fearful shriek, my eye was attracted to the attic windows of the house,
and I perceived, to my horror, a woman and several children standing at
it. Clear and distinct they stood against a black background, with the
ruddy glow of the flames robing them in a crimson light, and at the
same time revealing the agony of terror which was expressed in their
countenances. 'Go to the back of the house,' shouted the firemen, 'we
can do nothing for you there.' But the little group stood paralyzed w