as he gripped his son's arm, "Fred, is there nothing we
can save?"

As he spoke, a great burning fragment of the gallery balustrade fell
with a crash on to the oaken floor, the embers scattering in all
directions, the gallery floor rose in the intense heat, as if a wave
were passing through it, and as all backed involuntarily toward the
door, one of the suits of armour fell forward with a crash.

"It would be utter madness," said General Hedley. "At least here. We
could not have stayed a minute but for the cool air rushing in behind.
If you wish to try and save anything, we must break in through the
windows from outside."

The argument was unanswerable; and after a last wild gaze round, the
little party gave way step by step, and were literally driven out by the
tremendous heat, Fred's last look back being at the splendid staircase,
now one raging mass of fire, which was spreading upward with terrific
speed.

As they stood outside once more, the dense clouds of smoke were pouring
through the upper windows, and directly after, from the broad casement
above the porch, where Fred had held converse with the Cavaliers in his
character of ambassador, a great billowy wave of lurid smoky flame
lapped and flapped like a fiery banner, and then floated upward into the
soft cool air.

The afternoon had been calm and windless, but now it seemed as if a
sharp breeze was setting in toward the doomed house, fanning the flames
and making them roar, while overhead, and rapidly increasing in volume,
floated a huge cloud of smoke, spreading and spreading till it resembled
the head of a gigantic tree, whose black and purply grey foliage
brightened from time to time with a lurid glow.

But by this time axes were at work breaking down the stout boarding from
the wide drawing-room window to the right of the porch. This great wide
window had been completely covered, as a means of defence, save that
here and there slits had been left to enable the defenders to fire on
their enemies.

So stoutly was this work done with boards torn from stabling and barn at
the back of the house, that it took some time to clear an opening and
dash in a portion of the casement, and the fire had been gaining
strength so potent, that as the first casement was driven in a volume of
hot stifling smoke shot out, was apparently driven in by the air which
rushed toward the house, there was a dull report, and the interior, that
had been black the moment before