‘So am I,’ she answered, sobbing; ‘but oh, Stephen, I am frightened.’

‘Miss Anne,’ he said, in a comforting tone, ’that chapter about faith you’ve been teaching me, it says something about quenching fire.’

‘"Quenched the violence of fire,"’ she murmured; ’"out of weakness were made strong."’

She hid her face for a minute or two in both her hands; and then she was strong enough to go to the servant’s room, where the terrified girl was still calling for help.  The wild shouts and the deafening clamour at the door rang through the house; but the blaze was gone down again; and when Stephen threw open the window just over the heads of the group of men in the yard below, there was not light enough for him to distinguish their faces.

‘I’m here,’ he said,—­’Stephen Fern.  I found out what you are up to, and Martha’s gone to Longville for help.  She’ll be here afore long, and you can’t force the door open.  Put out the fire in the wood-stack, and go home.  Maybe if you’re not found here you’ll get off; for I’ve seen none of you, and I can only guess at who you are.  Go home, I say.’

There was a low, deep growl of disappointment, and a hurried consultation among the men.  But whether they would follow Stephen’s counsel, it was not permitted them to choose; for suddenly a strong, bright flame burst up in a high column, like a beacon, into the midnight air, and every one gazing upwards saw in a moment that the thatch over the farthest gable had caught fire.  The house itself was now burning, and the light, blazing full upon their upturned faces, revealed to Stephen the well-known features of four of his former comrades.  The shout that rang from their lips was one of real alarm now.

‘Stephen, lad, open the door!’ cried Black Thompson.  ’We thought to smoke the old fox out of his kennel, but it’s took fire in earnest.  We’ll not hurt him, nor Miss Anne.  Lad! the old house will burn like tinder.’

What a glaring light spread through the landing!  The face of Miss Anne coming from the servant’s room shone rosy and bright in it, though she was pale with fear.  Through the open window drifted a suffocating smoke of burning wood and thatch, and the crackling and splitting of the old roof sounded noisily above their voices; but Miss Anne commanded herself, and spoke calmly to Stephen.

‘We must open the door to them now,’ she said; ’God will protect us from these wicked men.  Uncle! uncle! the house is really on fire, and we want the keys.  Let me in.’

She knocked loudly at his door, and lifted up her voice to make him hear, and Stephen shouted; but there was no answer.  Without the keys of the massive locks it would not be possible to open the doors, and he had them in his own keeping; but he gave no heed to their calls, nor the vehement screams of the frightened servant.  Perhaps he had fallen into a fit; and they had no means of entering his chamber, so securely had he fastened himself in with his gold.  Stephen and Miss Anne gazed at one another in the dazzling and ominous light, but no words crossed their trembling lips.  Oh, the horror of their position!  And already other voices were mingled with those of the assailants; and every one was shouting from without, praying them to open the door, and be saved from their tremendous peril.