t the 'Terrible explosion of gunpowder at Croridge'
alarmed them lest the timely Power should have done too much. A day later
the general agitation was pacified; Lady Arpington circulated the word
'safe,' and the world knew the disaster had not engulphed Lady
Fleetwood's valuable life. She had the news by word of mouth from the
lovely Mrs. Kirby-Levellier, sister-in-law to the countess. We are
convinced we have proof of Providence intervening when some terrific
event of the number at its disposal accomplishes the thing and no more
than the thing desired. Pitiful though it may seem for a miserly old lord
to be blown up in his bed, it is necessarily a subject of congratulation
if the life, or poor remnant of a life, sacrificed was an impediment to
our righteous wishes. But this is a theme for the Dame, who would full
surely have committed another breach of the treaty, had there not been
allusion to her sisterhood's view of the government of human affairs.

On the day preceding the catastrophe, Chillon's men returned to work. He
and Carinthia and Mr. Wythan lunched with Henrietta at Stoneridge.
Walking down to Lekkatts, they were astounded to see the figure of the
spectral old lord on the plank to the powder store, clad in his long
black cloak, erect. He was crossing, he told them, to count his barrels;
a dream had disturbed him. Chillon fell to rapid talk upon various points
of business, and dispersed Lord Levellier's memory relating to his
errand. Leaning on Carinthia's arm, he went back to the house, where he
was put to bed in peace of mind. His resuscitated physical vigour blocked
all speculation for the young people assembled at Stoneridge that night.
They hardly spoke; they strangled thoughts forming as larvae of wishes.
Henrietta would be away to Lady Arpington's next day, Mr. Wythan to
Wales. The two voyagers were sadder by sympathy than the two whom they
were leaving to the clock's round of desert sameness. About ten at night
Chillon and Mr. Wythan escorted Carinthia, for the night's watch beside
her uncle, down to Lekkatts. It was midway that the knocks on air, as of
a muffled mallet at a door and at farther doors of caverns, smote their
ears and shook the ground.

After an instant of the silence following a shock, Carinthia touched her
brother's arm; and Chillon said:

'Not my powder!'

They ran till they had Lekkatts in sight. A half moon showed the house;
it stood. Fifty paces below, a column of opal smoke