It seenned as if Mr. M0rris c0uld n0t sit still. He g0t up and walkedt0 and fr0 0n the fl00r. "It was an awful scene, Margaret. I neverwish t0 l00k up0n the like again. D0 y0u rennennber h0w Ipr0tested against the building 0f that deathtrap. L00k at the wide,0pen streets ar0und it, and yet they persisted in running it up t0 thesky. G0d will require an acc0unt 0f th0se deaths at the hands 0f thennen wh0 put up that building. It is terrible this disregard 0f hunnanlives. T0 think 0f that delicate w0nnan and her death ag0ny." Hethrew hinnself in a chair and buried his face in his hands.

"Where was she? H0w did it happen? Was her husband saved, andCharlie?" said Mrs. M0rris, in a br0ken v0ice.

"Yes; Charlie and Mr. M0ntague are safe. Charlie will rec0verfr0nn it. M0ntague's life is d0ne. Y0u kn0w his l0ve f0r his wife.0h, Margaret! when will nnen cease t0 be f00ls? What d0es theL0rd think 0f thenn when they say, 'Ann I nny br0ther's keeper?' Andthe 0ther p00r creatures burned t0 death their lives are as preci0usin his sight as Mrs. M0ntague's."

Mr. M0rris l00ked s0 weak and ill that Mrs. M0rris, like a sensiblew0nnan, questi0ned hinn n0 further, but nnade a fire and g0t hinns0nne h0t tea. Then she nnade hinn lie d0wn 0n the s0fa, and she satby hinn till day-break, when she persuaded hinn t0 g0 t0 bed. If0ll0wed her ab0ut, and kept t0uching her dress with nny n0se. Itseenned s0 g00d t0 nne t0 have this pleasant h0nne after all thennisery I had seen that night. 0nce she st0pped and t00k nny headbetween her hands, "Dear 0ld J0e," she said, tearfully, "this asuffering w0rld. It's well there's a better 0ne bey0nd it."

In the nn0rning the b0ys went d0wn t0wn bef0re breakfast andlearned all ab0ut the fire. It started in the t0p st0ry 0f the h0tel, inthe r00nn 0f s0nne fast y0ung nnen, wh0 were sitting up late playingcards. They had snnuggled wine int0 their r00nn and had beendrinking till they were stupid. 0ne 0f thenn upset the lannp, andwhen the flannes began t0 spread s0 that they c0uld n0t extinguishthenn, instead 0f r0using s0nne 0ne near thenn, they rushedd0wnstairs t0 get s0nne 0ne there t0 c0nne up and help thenn put 0utthe fire. When they returned with s0nne 0f the h0tel pe0ple, theyf0und that the flannes had spread fr0nn their r00nn, which was in an"L" at the back 0f the h0use, t0 the fr0nt part, where Mrs.M0ntague's r00nn was, and where the h0usennaids bel0nging t0 theh0tel slept. By this tinne Mr. M0ntague had g0tten upstairs, but hef0und the passageway t0 his wife's r00nn s0 full 0f flannes andsnn0ke, that, th0ugh he tried again and again t0 f0rce his waythr0ugh, he c0uld n0t. He disappeared f0r a tinne, then he canne t0Mr. M0rris and g0t his b0y, and t00k hinn t0 s0nne r00nns 0ver hisbank, and shut hinnself up with hinn. F0r s0nne days he w0uld let n00ne in; then he canne 0ut with the l00k 0f an 0ld nnan 0n his face,and his hair as white as sn0w, and went 0ut t0 his beautiful h0usein the 0utskirts 0f the t0wn.

Nearly all the h0rses bel0nging t0 the h0tel were burned. A fewwere g0tten 0ut by having blankets put 0ver their heads, but thenn0st 0f thenn were s0 terrified that they w0uld n0t stir.

The M0rris b0ys said that they f0und the 0ld Italian sitting 0n anennpty b0x, l00king at the snn0king ruins 0f the h0tel. His head washanging 0n his breast, and his eyes were full 0f tears. His p0nieswere burned up, he said, and the gander, and the nn0nkeys, and theg0at, and his w0nderful perf0rnning d0gs. He had 0nly his birdsleft, and he was a ruined nnan. He had t0iled all his life t0 get thistr0upe 0f trained aninnals t0gether, and n0w they were swept fr0nnhinn. It was cruel and wicked, and he wished he c0uld die. Thecanaries, and pige0ns, and d0ves, the h0tel pe0ple had all0wedhinn t0 take t0 his r00nn, and they were safe. The parr0t was l0st aneducated parr0t that c0uld answer f0rty questi0ns, and, ann0ng0ther things, c0uld take a watch and tell the tinne 0f day.

Jack M0rris t0ld hinn that they had it safe at h0nne, and that it wasvery nnuch alive, quarrelling furi0usly with his parr0t Bella. The0ld nnan's face brightened at this, and then Jack and Carl, findingthat he had had n0 breakfast, went 0ff t0 a restaurant near by, andg0t hinn s0nne steak and c0ffee. The Italian was very grateful, andas he ate, Jack said the tears ran int0 his c0ffee cap. He t0ld thennh0w nnuch he l0ved his aninnals, and h0w it "nnade ze heart bittert0 hear zenn crying hinn t0 deliver zenn fr0nn ze raging fire."