"Will you not tell Mrs. Crabtree, nor grandmama, nor anybody else?"

cried Harry, bursting into tears. "I am so very, very sorry, and so frightened! Laura! do you know, I took a candle into the next room, merely to play with it."

"Well! go on, Harry! go on! what did you do with the candle?"

"I only put it on the bed for a single minute, to see how the flame would look there,--well! do you know it blazed away famously, and then all the bed clothes began burning too! Oh! there is such a terrible fire in the next room! you never saw anything like it! what shall we do? If old Andrew were to come up, do you think he could put it out? I have shut the door that Mrs. Crabtree may not see the flames. Be sure, Laura, to tell n.o.body but Andrew."

Laura became terrified at the way she saw poor Harry in, but when she opened the door to find out the real state of affairs, oh! what a dreadful sight was there! all the beds were on fire, while bright red flames were blazing up to the roof of the room, with a fierce roaring noise, which it was perfectly frightful to hear. She screamed aloud with terror at this alarming scene, while Harry did all he could to quiet her, and even put his hand over her mouth, that her cries might not be heard. Laura now struggled to get loose, and called louder and louder, till at last every maid in the house came racing up stairs, three steps at a time, to know what was the matter. Immediately upon seeing the flames, they all began screaming too, in such a loud discordant way, that it sounded as if a whole flight of crows had come into the pa.s.sages. Never was there such an uproar heard in the house before, for the walls echoed with a general cry of "Fire! fire! fire!"

Up flew Mrs. Crabtree towards the nursery like a sky-rocket, scolding furiously, talking louder than all the others put together, and asking who had set the house on fire, while Harry and Laura scarcely knew whether to be most frightened for the raging flames, or the raging Mrs.

Crabtree; but, in the meantime, they both shrunk into the smallest possible size, and hid themselves behind a door.

During all this confusion, Old Andrew luckily remembered, that, in the morning, there had been a great washing in the laundry, where large tubs full of water were standing, so he called to the few maids who had any of their senses remaining, desiring them to a.s.sist in carrying up some buckets, that they might be emptied on the burning beds, to extinguish the flames if possible. Every body was now in a hurry, and all elbowing each other out of the way, while it was most extraordinary to see how old Andrew exerted himself, as if he had been a fireman all his life, while Mrs. Marmalade, the fat cook, who could hardly carry herself up stairs in general, actively a.s.sisted to bring up the great heavy tubs, and to pour them out like a cascade upon the burning curtains, till the nursery-floor looked like a duck pond.

Meantime Harry and Laura added to the confusion as much as they could, and were busier than anybody, stealing down the back-stairs whenever Mrs. Crabtree was not in sight, and filling their little jugs with water, which they brought up, as fast as possible, and dashed upon the flames, till at last, it is to be feared, they began to feel quite amused with the bustle, and to be almost sorry when the conflagration diminished. At one time, Laura very nearly set her own frock on fire, as she ventured too near, but Harry pulled her back, and then courageously advanced to discharge a shower from his own little jug, remaining stationary to watch the effect, till his face was almost scorched.

At last the fire became less and less, till it went totally out, but not before the nursery furniture had been reduced to perfect ruins, besides which, Betty had her arm sadly burned in the confusion. Mrs. Marmalade's cap was completely destroyed, and Mrs. Crabtree's best gown had so large a hole burned in the skirt, that she never could wear it again!

After all was quiet, and the fire completely extinguished, Major Graham took Laura down stairs to Lady Harriet's dressing-room, that she might tell the whole particulars of how this alarming accident happened in the nursery, for n.o.body could guess what had caused so sudden and dreadful a fire, which seemed to have been as unexpected as a flash of lightning.

Lady Harriet had felt so terrified by the noise and confusion, that she was out of bed, sitting up in an arm-chair, supported by pillows, when Laura entered, at the sight of whom, with her well-cropped head, she made an exclamation of perfect amazement.

"Why! who on earth is that! Laura! my dear child! what has become of all your hair? Were your curls burned off in the fire? or did the fright make you grow bald? What is the meaning of all this?"

Laura turned perfectly crimson with shame and distress, for she now felt convinced of her own great misconduct about the scissors and curls, but she had been taught on all occasions to speak the truth, and would rather have died than told a lie, or even allowed any person to believe what was not true, therefore she answered in a low, frightened voice, while the tears came into her eyes, "My hair has not been burned off, grandmama! but--but--"

"Well, child! speak out!" said Lady Harriet, impatiently, "did some hair-dresser come to the house and rob you?"

"Or are you like the ladies of Carthage who gave their long hair for bows and arrows?" asked Major Graham. "I never saw such a little fright in my life as you look now; but tell us all about it?"

"I have been quite as naughty as Harry!" answered Laura, bursting into tears and sobbing with grief; "I was cutting off my hair with Mrs.

Crabtree's scissors all the time that he was setting the nursery on fire!"

"Did any mortal ever hear of two such little torments!" exclaimed Major Graham, hardly able to help laughing. "I wonder if anybody else in the world has such mischievous children!"

"It is certainly very strange, that you and Harry never can contrive to be three hours out of a sc.r.a.pe!" said Lady Harriet gravely; "now Frank, on the contrary, never forgets what I bid him do. You might suppose he carried Mrs. Crabtree in his pocket, to remind him constantly of his duty; but there are not two such boys in the world as Frank!"

"No," added Major Graham; "Harry set the house on fire, and Frank will set the Thames on fire!"

When Laura saw uncle David put on one of his funny looks, while he spoke in this way to Lady Harriet, she almost forgot her former fright, and became surprised to observe her grandmama busy preparing what she called a coach-wheel, which had been often given as a treat to Harry and herself when they were particularly good. This delightful wheel was manufactured by taking a whole round slice of the loaf, in the centre of which was placed a large tea-spoonful of jelly, after which long spokes of marmalade, jam, and honey, were made to diverge most tastefully in every direction towards the crust, and Laura watched the progress of this business with great interest and anxiety, wondering if it could be hoped that her grandmama really meant to forgive all her misconduct during the day.

"That coach-wheel is, of course, meant for me!" said Major Graham, pretending to be very hungry, and looking slyly at Laura; "It cannot possibly be intended for our little hair-dresser here!"

"Yes, it is!" answered Lady Harriet, smiling. "I have some thoughts of excusing Laura this time, because she always tells me the truth, without attempting to conceal any foolish thing she does. It will be very long before she has any hair to cut off again, so I hope she may be older and wiser by that time, especially considering that every looking-gla.s.s she sees for six months will make her feel ashamed of herself. She certainly deserves some reward for having prevented the house to-night from being burned to the ground."

"I am glad you think so, because here is a shilling that has been burning in my pocket for the last few minutes, as I wished to bestow it on Laura for having saved all our lives, and if she had behaved still better, I might perhaps have given her a gold watch!"

Laura was busily employed in eating her coach-wheel, and trying to fancy what the gold watch would have looked like which she might probably have got from uncle David, when suddenly the door burst open, and Mrs.

Crabtree hurried into the room, with a look of surprise and alarm, her face as red as a poppy, and her eye fixed on the hole in her best gown, while she spoke so loud and angrily, that Laura almost trembled.

"If you please, my lady! where can Master Harry be? I cannot find him in any corner!--we have been searching all over the house, up stairs and down stairs, in vain. Not a garret or a closet but has been ransacked, and n.o.body can guess what has become of him!"

"Did you look up the chimney, Mrs. Crabtree?" asked Major Graham, laughing to see how excited she looked.

"Indeed, Sir! it is no joke," answered Mrs. Crabtree, sulkily; "I am almost afraid Master Harry has been burned in the fire! The last time Betty saw him, he was throwing a jug of water into the flames, and no one has ever seen or heard of him since! There is a great many ashes and cinders lying about the room, and----"

"Do you think, in sober seriousness, Mrs. Crabtree, that Harry would melt away like a wax doll, without asking any body to extinguish him?"

said Major Graham, smiling. "No! no! little boys are not quite so easily disposed of. I shall find Harry in less than five minutes, if he is above ground."

But uncle David was quite mistaken in expecting to discover Harry so easily, for he searched and searched in vain. He looked into every possible or impossible place--the library, the kitchen, the garrets, the laundry, the drawing-room, all without success,--he peeped under the tables, behind the curtains, over the beds, beneath the pillows, and into Mrs. Crabtree's bonnet-box,--he even opened the tea-chest, and looked out at the window, in case Harry had tumbled over, but nowhere could he be found.

"Not a mouse is stirring!" exclaimed Major Graham, beginning now to look exceedingly grave and anxious. "This is very strange! The house-door is locked, therefore, unless Harry made his escape through the key-hole, he must be here! It is most unaccountable what the little pickle can have done with himself!"

When Major Graham chose to exert his voice, it was as loud as a trumpet, and could be heard half a mile off; so he now called out, like thunder, from the top of the stairs to the bottom, saying, "Hollo, Harry! hollo!

Come here, my boy! n.o.body shall hurt you! Harry! where are you!"

Uncle David waited to listen, but all was still,--no answer could be heard, and there was not a sound in the house, except poor Laura at the bottom of the stairs, sobbing with grief and terror about Harry having been lost, and Mrs. Crabtree grumbling angrily to herself, on account of the large hole in her best gown.

By this time Lady Harriet nearly fainted with fatigue, for she was so very old, and had been ill all day; so she grew worse and worse, till everybody said she must go to bed, and try if it would be possible to fall asleep, a.s.suring her that Harry must soon be found, as nothing particular could have happened to him, or some person would have seen it.

"Indeed, my lady! Master Harry is just like a bad shilling that is sure to come back," said Mrs. Crabtree, helping her to undress, while she continued to talk the whole time about the fire, showing her own unfortunate gown, describing the trouble she had taken to save the house from being burned, and always ending every sentence with a wish that she could lay her hands on Harry to punish him as he deserved.

"The truth is, I just spoil and indulge the children too much, my lady!"

added Mrs. Crabtree, in a self-satisfied tone of voice. "I really blame myself often for being over easy and kind."

"You have nothing to accuse yourself of in that respect," answered Lady Harriet, unable to help smiling.

"Your ladyship is very good to say so. Major Graham is so fond of our young people, that it is lucky they have some one to keep them in order.

I shall make a duty, my lady, of being more strict than ever. Master Harry must be made an example of this time!" added Mrs. Crabtree, angrily glancing at the hole in her gown. "I shall teach him to remember this day the longest hour he has to live!"

"Harry will not forget it any how," answered Lady Harriet languidly.

"Perhaps, Mrs. Crabtree, we might as well not be severe with the poor boy on this occasion. As the old proverb says, 'there is no use in pouring water on a drowned mouse.' Harry has got a sad fright for his pains, and at all events you must find him first, before he can be punished. Where can the poor child be hid?"

"I would give sixpence to find out that, my lady!" answered Mrs.

Crabtree, helping Lady Harriet into bed, after which she closed the shutters, put out the candles, and left the room, angrily muttering, "Master Harry cares no more for me than the poker cares for the tongs, but I shall teach him another story soon."

Lady Harriet now feebly closed her eyes, being quite exhausted, and was beginning to feel the pleasant, confused sensation that people have before going to sleep, when some noise made her suddenly start quite awake. She sat up in bed to listen, but could not be sure whether it had been a great noise at a distance, or a little noise in the room; so after waiting two or three minutes, she sunk back upon the pillows, and tried to forget it. Again, however, she distinctly heard something rustling in the bed curtains, and opened her eyes to see what could be the matter, but all was dark. Something seemed to be breathing very near her, however, and the curtains shook worse than before, till Lady Harriet became really alarmed.

"It must surely be a cat in the room!" thought she, hastily pulling the bell rope, till it nearly came down. "That tiresome little animal will make such a noise, I shall not be able to sleep all night!"

The next minute Lady Harriet was startled to hear a loud sob close beside her; and when everybody rushed up stairs to ask what was the matter, they brought candles to search the room, and there was Harry!

He lay doubled up in a corner, and crying as if his heart would break, yet still endeavouring not to be seen; for Harry always thought it a terrible disgrace to cry, and would have concealed himself anywhere, rather than be observed weeping. Laura burst into tears also, when she saw what red eyes and pale cheeks Harry had; but Mrs. Crabtree lost no time in pulling him out of his place, being quite impatient to begin her scold, and to produce her tawse, though she received a sad disappointment on this occasion, as uncle David unexpectedly interfered to get him off.

"Come now, Mrs. Crabtree," said he good-naturedly; "put up the tawse for this time; you are rather too fond of the leather. Harry seems really sorry and frightened, so we must be merciful. That cataract of tears he is shedding now, would have extinguished the fire if it had come in time! Harry is like a culprit with the rope about his neck; but he shall not be executed. Let me be judge and jury in this case; and my sentence is a very dreadful one. Harry must sleep all to-night in the burned nursery, having no other covering than the burned blankets, with large holes in them, that he may never forget

"THE TERRIBLE FIRE!"