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Rigid and motionless we stood to listen; then every other e fear as, above the tra rush of feet, above the shrill blast of tucket and rolling of druht the aord "Fire!"

"Now God help us all!" cries she, wringing her hands; then sinking to her knees, she leaned, half-swooning, against the door, yet I saw her pallid lipsin passionate supplication

As forhow I eneral confusion to the preservation of my life In this I was suddenly aroused by my lady's hand on my bowed shoulder

"Hark!" cries she, "Hark where they cry for aid!"

"Why so they do," says I "And so theythereafter? Not I,her hands

"Verily, madaue's body o' mine from noose and flame But as for the ship--let it burn, say I"

"Spoke like a very coward!" says she in bitter scorn "And a coward is selfish always" So saying she crossed to the door and reached her hand to the bolt; but in a leap I was beside her and caught this hand, 'prisoning it there: "Hark'ee,is a shaood as round o up in flale the life out of ed So the ship may burn an it will Meantime do you seek your salvation and leave ive her way; instead she stood a reat-eyed: "O blind!" says she at last, "To treasure life for your wicked vengeance! O blind, blind!" Then, and very suddenly she sped out and away

Left alone I stood hearkening to the distant uproar and casting about in ht contrive my preservation And now in my desperate need it seemed there was but one hope for me and this but slender, viz, to steal ht be To this end I stepped forth of the cabin and so into a narrow passage-ith divers doors to right and left that opened upon other cabins, in one of which I espied a cloak and feathered hat lying where their owner had dropped the the cloak aboutfor nos a broad stairway I climbed at speed and found ht look down on the decks through a haze of s in billoreaths against the splendour of the athered the whole ship's cohty stir and to-do, and none with eyes to spare forto Adam's cabin, found the door unlocked, the which I closed and bolted afterof which I noticed (toand in it moreover a loophole newly cut, with others in the bulkheads to right and left and all very neatly plugged from within; and ith this and the musquetoons that stood in racks very orderly, the place, sh it was, had all the virtues of a fort or citadel Here then, so far as ht be, I was safe whatever chanced, since I had but to lift the trap in the floor and descend into the roundhouse belohence I allery and so the sea itself And now, laying by the hat and cloak I cast reat content, hearkened to the distant voices and tramp of feet where they laboured to put out the fire