suddenly vast flames
sprang up, rising high into the still night air; and they saw that the
house they had just left was blazing furiously. It was a magnificent
sight from the distant hill on which they stood to watch the fire as it
soared and sank, as it shot scarlet tongues along like strange Titanic
monsters, as it raged from room to room. Skene was burning. It was beyond
the reach of human help. In a little while there would be no trace of all
those crimes and all those horrors. Now it was one mass of flame. It
looked like some primeval furnace, where the gods might work unheard-of
miracles.

'Arthur, what have you done?' asked Susie, in a tone that was hardly
audible.

He did not answer directly. He put his arm about her shoulder again, so
that she was obliged to turn round.

'Look, the sun is rising.'

In the east, a long ray of light climbed up the sky, and the sun, yellow
and round, appeared upon the face of the earth.

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