fen went to the bottom of the house and
called to the landlady.

'Mrs Willoughby! Who is asleep on the stairs?'

'Why, I 'spect it's Mr Briggs,' replied the woman, indulgently. 'Don't
you mind him, Mr Biffen. There's no 'arm: he's only had a little too
much. I'll go up an' make him go to bed as soon as I've got my 'ands
clean.'

'The necessity for waiting till then isn't obvious,' remarked the
realist with a chuckle, and went his way.

He walked at a sharp pace for more than an hour, and about midnight drew
near to his own quarter again. He had just turned up by the Middlesex
Hospital, and was at no great distance from Clipstone Street, when a
yell and scamper caught his attention; a group of loafing blackguards on
the opposite side of the way had suddenly broken up, and as they rushed
off he heard the word 'Fire!' This was too common an occurrence to
disturb his equanimity; he wondered absently in which street the fire
might be, but trudged on without a thought of making investigation.
Repeated yells and rushes, however, assailed his apathy. Two women came
tearing by him, and he shouted to them: 'Where is it?'

'In Clipstone Street, they say,' one screamed back.

He could no longer be unconcerned. If in his own street the
conflagration might be in the very house he inhabited, and in that
case---- He set off at a run. Ahead of him was a thickening throng, its
position indicating the entrance to Clipstone Street. Soon he found his
progress retarded; he had to dodge this way and that, to force progress,
to guard himself against overthrows by the torrent of ruffiandom which
always breaks forth at the cry of fire. He could now smell the smoke,
and all at once a black volume of it, bursting from upper windows,
alarmed his sight. At once he was aware that, if not his own dwelling,
it must be one of those on either side that was in flames. As yet no
engine had arrived, and straggling policemen were only just beginning to
make their way to the scene of uproar. By dint of violent effort Biffen
moved forward yard by yard. A tongue of flame which suddenly illumined
the fronts of the houses put an end to his doubt.

'Let me get past!' he shouted to the gaping and swaying mass of people
in front of him. 'I live there! I must go upstairs to save something!'

His educated accent moved attention. Repeating the demand again and
again he succeeded in getting forward, and at length was near enough
to see that people were dragging