hard cash-第142章

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as　burning　merrily　overhead；　and　ringing　with　hilarity　on　the　first　floor。

But　the　neighbours　saw；　pointed；　wondered；　comprehended；　shouted；　rang；　knocked；　and　surged　round　the　iron　gate。　〃Fire！　fire！　fire！〃　and　〃Fire！〃　went　down　the　road；　and　men　on　horseback　galloped　for　engines；　and　the　terror…stricken　porter　opened　and　the　people　rushed　in　and　hammered　at　the　hall　doors；　and　when　Rooke　ran　down　and　opened；　〃Fire！〃　was　the　word　that　met　him　from　a　score　of　eager　throats　and　glittering　eyes。

〃Fire！　Where？〃　he　cried。

〃Where！　Why；　_you_　are　on　fire。　Blazing！〃

He　ran　out　and　looked　up　at　the　tongues　of　flame　and　volleys　of　smoke。　〃Shut　the　gate；〃　he　roared。　〃Call　the　police。　Fire！　fire！〃　And　he　dashed　back；　and　calling　to　the　other　keepers　to　unlock　all　the　doors　they　had　keys　of；　ran　up　to　the　garrets　to　see　what　could　be　done。　He　came　out　awe…stricken　at　what　he　saw。　He　descended　hastily　to　the　third　floor。　Now　the　third　floor　of　that　wing　was　occupied　principally　by　servants。　In　fact；　the　only　patients　at　that　time　were　Dodd　and　Alfred。　Rooke　called　to　the　men　below　to　send　Hayes　up　to　No。　75　with　his　key　directly；　he　then　ran　down　to　the　next　floorof　which　he　had　keysand　opened　all　the　doors；　and　said　to　the　inmates　with　a　ghastly　attempt　at　cheerfulness；　belied　by　his　shaking　voice；　〃Get　up；　gentlemen；　there　is　a　ball　and　supper　going　on　below。〃　He　was　afraid　to　utter　the　word　〃fire〃　to　them。　The　other　keepers　were　as　rapid；　each　on　his　beat；　and　soon　the　more　rational　patients　took　the　alarm　and　were　persuaded　or　driven　out　half…dressed　into　the　yard；　where　they　cowered　together　in　extremity　of　fear；　for　the　fire　began　to　roar　overhead　like　a　lion；　and　lighted　up　the　whole　interior　red　and　bright。　All　was　screaming　and　confusion；　and　then　came　a　struggle　to　get　the　incurable　out　from　the　basement　story。　There　was　no　time　to　handcuff　them。　The　keepers　trusted　to　the　terror　of　the　scene　to　cow　them；　and　so　opened　the　doors　and　got　them　out　anyhow。　Wild；　weird　forms；　with　glaring　eyes　and　matted　hair；　leaped　out　and　ran　into　the　hall；　and　laughed；　and　danced；　and　cursed　in　the　lurid　reflection　of　the　fires　above。　Hell　seemed　discharging　demons。　Men　recoiled　from　them。　And　well　they　did；　for　now　the　skylight　exploded；　and　the　pieces　fell　tinkling　on　the　marble　hall　fast　as　hail。　The　crowd　recoiled　and　ran；　but　those　awful　figures　continued　their　gambols。　One　picked　up　the　burning　glass　and　ground　it　in　his　hands　that　bled　directly：　but　he　felt　neither　burn　nor　cut。　The　keepers　rushed　in　to　withdraw　them　from　so　dangerous　a　place：　all　but　one　obeyed　with　sudden　tameness：　that　one　struggled　and　yelled　like　a　demon。　In　the　midst。　of　which　fearful　contest　came　a　sudden　thundering　at　a　door　on　the　third　floor。

〃What　is　that？〃　cried　Rooke。

〃It　is　Mr。　Hardie；〃　screamed　the　Robin。　〃You　have　left　him　locked　in。〃

〃I　told　Hayes　to　let　him　out　long　ago。〃

〃But　Hayes　hasn't　got　the　key。　You've　got　it。〃

〃No；　no。　I　tell　you　Hayes　has　got　it。〃

〃No；　no！　Murder！　murder！　They　are　dead　men。　Run　for　Mrs。　Archbold；　somebody。　Run！　Here；　hammers；　hammers！　for　God's　sake；　come　and　help　me；　break　the　door。　Oh；　Rooke；　Rooke！〃

〃As　I'm　a　man　Hayes　has　got　the　key；〃　cried　Rooke；　stamping　on　the　ground；　and　white　with　terror。

By　this　time　Garrett　had　got　a　hammer；　and　he　and　Wales　rushed　wildly　up　the　stairs　to　batter　in　the　strong　door　if　they　could。　They　got　to　the　third　floor；　but　with　difficulty；　the　smoke　began　to　blind　them　and　choke　them；　and　fiery　showers　fell　on　them；　and　drove　them　back　smarting　and　choking。　Garrett　sank　down　gasping　at　the　stair…foot。　Wales　ran　into　the　yard　uttering　pitiful　cries；　and　pointing　wildly　upwards；　but　before　he　got　there；　a　hand　had　broken　through　the　glass　of　a　window　up　in　the　third　floor；　the　poor　white　hand　of　a　perishing　prisoner；　and　clutched　the　framework　and　tore　at　it。

At　this　hand　a　thousand　white　faces　were　now　upturned　amid　groans　of　pity　and　terror；　such　as　only　multitudes　can　utter。　Suddenly　those　anxious　faces　and　glistening　eyes　turned　like　one；　for　an　attempt；　wild　and　unintelligible；　but　still　an　attempt；　was　about　to　be　made　to　save　that　hand　and　its　owner　out　of　the　very　jaws　of　death。

Now　amongst　the　spectators　was　one　whose　life　and　reason　were　at　stake　on　that　attempt。


Mrs。　Dodd　was　hurrying　homeward　from　this　very　neighbourhood　when　the　fire　broke　out。　Her　son　Edward　was　coming　at　nine　o'clock　to　tea；　and；　better　still；　to　sleep。　He　was　leaving　the　fire　brigade。　It　had　disappointed　him；　he　found　the　fire…escape　men　saved　the　lives；　the　firemen　only　the　property。　He　had　gone　into　the　business　earnestly　too；　he　had　invented　a　thing　like　a　treble　pouch　hook；　which　could　he　fastened　in　a　moment　to　the　end　of　a　rope；　and　thrown　into　the　window；　and　would　cling　to　the　bare　wall；　if　there　was　nothing　better；　and　enable　him　to　go　up　and　bring　life　down。　But　he　had　never　got　a　chance　to　try　it；　and；　_per　contra；_　he　was　on　the　engine　when　they　went　tearing　over　a　woman　and　broke　her　arm　and　collar…bone　in　the　Blackfriars　Road；　and　also　when　they　went　tearing　over　their　own　fire…dog；　and　crippled　him。　All　this　seemed　out　of　character；　and　shocked　Edward；　and　then　his　mother　could　not　get　over　the　jacket。

In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　he　was　to　take　off　the　obnoxious　jacket　for　ever；　and　was　now　lounging　at　the　station　smoking　a　short　pipe；　when　a　man　galloped　up　crying　〃Fire！〃

〃All　right！〃　said　Edward；　giving　a　whiff。　〃Where？〃

〃Lunatic　Asylum。　Drayton　House。〃

Guess　how　long　before　the　horses　were　to；　and　the　engine　tearing　at　a　gallop　down　the　road；　and　the　firemen　shouting　〃Fire！　fire！〃　to　clear　the　way；　and　Edward's　voice　the　loudest。

When　the　report　of　fire　swept　townward　past　Mrs。　Dodd；　she　turned；　and　saw　the　glow。

〃Oh　dear；〃　said　she；　〃that　must　be　somewhere　near　Drayton　House。〃　And　full　of　the　tender　fears　that　fill　such　bosoms　as　hers　for　those　they　love；　she　could　not　go　home　till　she　had　ascertained　that　it　was　not　Drayton　House。　Moreover；　Edward's　was　the　nearest　station；　she　had　little　hope　now　of　seeing　him　to　tea。　She　sighed；　and　retraced　her　steps；　and　made　timid　inquiries；　but　could　gain　no　clear　information。　Presently　she　heard　galloping　behind　her；　and　the　fireman's　wild　sharp　cry　of　fire。　An　engine　drawn　by　two　powerful　brown　horses　came　furiously；　all　on　fire　itself　with　red　paint　and　polished　steel　gleaming　in　the　lights；　helmeted　men　clustered　on　it；　and　out　of　one　of　these　helmets　looked　a　face　like　a　fighting　lion's；　the　eyes　so　dilated；　the　countenance　in　such　towering　excitement；　the　figure　half　rising　from　his　seat　as　though　galloping　was　too　slow　and　he　wanted　to　fly。　It　was　Edward。　Mother　and　son　caught　sight　of　one　another　as　the　engine　thundered　by；　and　he　gave　her　a　solemn　ardent　look；　and　pointed　towards　the　fire；　by　that　burning　look　and　eloquent　gesture　she　knew　it　was　something　more　than　a　common　fire。　She　trembled　and　could　not　move。　But　this　temporary　weakness　was　followed　by　an　influx　of　wild　vigour；　she　forgot　her　forty…two　years；　and　flew　to　hover　round　the　fire　as　the　hen　round　water。　Unfortunately　she　was　too　late　to　get　any　nearer　than　the　road　outside　the　gates；　the　crowd　was　so　dense。　And；　while　her　pale　face　and　anxious　eyes；　the　eyes　of　a　wife　and　a　mother；　were　bent　on　that　awful　fire；　the　human　tide　flowed　swiftly　up　behind　her；　and　there　she　was　wedged　in。　She　was　allowed　her　foot　of　ground　to　stand　and　look　like　the　restno　more。　Mere　unit　in　that　mass　of　panting　humanity；　hers　was　one　of　the　thousands　of　upturned　faces　lurid　in　the　light　of　the　now　blazing　roof。　She　saw　with　thousands　the　hand　break　the　window　and　clutch　the　frame；　she　gasped　with　the　crowd　at　that　terrible　and　piteous　sight；　and　her　bosom　panted　for　her　fellow…creature　in　sore　peril。　But　what　is　this？　The　mob　inside　utter　a　great　roar　of　hope；　the　crowd　outside　strain　every　eye。

A　gleaming　helmet　overtops　the　outer　wall。　It　is　a　fireman　mounting　the　great　elm…tree　in　the　madhouse　yard。　The　crowd　inside　burst　in　a　cheer。　He　had　a　rope　round　his　loins；　his　face　was　to　the　tree。　He　mounted　and　mounted　like　a　cat；　higher；　and　higher；　and　higher；　till　he　reached　a　branch　about　twelve　feet　above　the　window　and　as　many　distant　from　it　lat