was divided into many parts. "I am relieved to see that _you_ are all
right. I didn't know what might have happened up State. Did you _ever_?
Well!--Great old country this. Talk about living on the side of
Vesuvius. And now everything is going, everything!"

"I keep hoping for a change of wind."

"Perhaps, but I've pretty well given it up. We are in disgrace to-day,
sure enough. And anyhow Mr. Hofer has lost millions, millions!
However--" She recovered herself with a bound. "He made them, so I
guess he can make more. And do you know what he's thinking about
already? He burst in here half an hour ago--as black as your hat--with
orders that I should take the family down to Burlingame at once, and
then began talking about the Burnham plans, and the opportunity to clean
up the city politically. There's a raging idealist for you. And do you
know what he and Mr. Gwynne are up to now? Carrying dynamite, no less,
between Fort Mason and the fire line. The two of them are running an
automobile apiece and have put themselves at the disposal of the
authorities. Nice thing for me to be thinking of all night. Don't you
want to come along?"

Isabel shook her head.

"Well, I'll move on then--before they change their minds and impress my
car. So far I have a gracious permit to keep it. The servants have
buried the silver and the pictures, but--" She glanced at the beautiful
frieze, which, without its electric lights, looked a mere blur of blue
and black, then shrugged her shoulders. "I just won't believe my house
will go," she said, defiantly; "not till the last minute, anyhow. When
the fire's over, or Mr. Hofer lets me, I'll come back and do something
for those poor wretches that have been burned out. Gather up what food
there is to be had in the country, and start an eating station or
something. Mr. Hofer says food will come pouring in from every direction
presently, and then they will need organizers. I'm good at that. Can I
rely on you? It will be an experience, anyhow; and of course it's my
place to do that sort of thing. Besides, I do feel terribly sorry for
those poor things, and I won't be able to sit still for a month."

"You can count on me. When this is over I shall find you somehow."

"Oh, don't worry. The newspapers won't miss anything. They're burned
out, but I hear that the editors are already over in Oakland scurrying
round after a plant. Well, _adios_. If you say the word I'll send the
car back for you--although I