um, and the neighbour
who attended her said she had the fever. Anders, who had burnt himself
on the side of the face at the fire, was sitting with her, a
handkerchief tied round his head.

The townspeople managed to get home by degrees. Some pretended that they
did not see the sun, and went to bed. Others stayed up, and went yawning
about all day. More than half the town had been at Sandsgaard that
night, or else on the heights above the house, looking on the fire.

One of the few people who had not been at the fire was our friend
Woodlouse. When he and the Swede parted, after the fight between Martin
and Robson, he went straight off to his home in the town. As he passed
the first house, he met some people who were running, and deaf as he
was, he heard the two cannon-shots which gave warning of a fire. When he
got to the church, he saw that the door was open, and that there was a
light in the place from whence the bells were pulled. Woodlouse looked
in and saw a pair of legs, now bending, now straightening again, now
going up, and now down. From what he saw, he drew the conclusion that
some one was tolling the big bell. He observed carefully what time it
was by the church clock, and as he went along, he was already making up
his mind how he should answer the inquiries of the police, for he fully
expected the cause of the fire would be the subject for investigation.

CHAPTER XIX.

Consul Garman was in bed, now three days after the fire. The left side
was almost powerless; but the doctor said there was still a chance of
recovery, since the patient had managed to get through the first few
days. The Consul had not hitherto spoken a word, but the eyes moved
occasionally, and especially the right one, for the left was half
closed, and the mouth remained crooked.

Uncle Richard sat constantly by the bed, watching his brother, until
their eyes happened to meet, when he would look away with an expression
that was meant to be unconcerned, for the doctor had particularly said
that the patient was not to be excited.

When the _attache_ was alone with his brother, he was always anxious
lest he should begin to speak, and it so happened that he began to do so
one day just after the doctor had been, as if he had been waiting for
him to leave the room.

"Richard," said he all at once, "there will have to be a great many
changes."

"There, now he is off!" thought the _attache_.

The Consul waited a little before he con