tting suddenly up, in spite of a
sensation of giddiness which made everything swim before her eyes
for a few moments; and Rachel Harmer looked down into her face and
smiled.

"Dear Dinah, thank Heaven thou art safe! I hear that thou wert in
fearful peril in this burning city; but our good neighbour brought
thee forth from the blazing house just as the boards on which thou
wert standing gave way beneath thy feet. Oh, how thankful must we
be that our home and our dear ones have all been preserved to us,
when half the city is lying in ruins!"

Dinah raised herself up still more at these words, and turned her
eyes in the direction of the raging flames on the north side of the
river; and only then was she able to realize something of the
terrible magnitude of that great conflagration.

The boat was hugging the Southwark shore, for indeed it was scarce
safe to approach the other, save from motives of dire necessity,
and so thickly did sparks and fragments of blazing matter fall
hissing into the river for quite half its width, that boats were
chary of adventuring themselves much beyond the Southwark bank,
save those conveying persons or goods from some of the many wharfs;
and these made straight across with their cargoes as soon as they
could quit the shore.

"It is terrible! terrible!" gasped Dinah. "It is like the mouth of
a volcano! And to think that but a short hour since I was in the
midst of it. O sister, tell me how thou comest to be here. Tell me
how I was snatched from the flames, for, verily, I thought I was
their prey."

Rachel put a trembling arm about her sister's shoulders as she made
reply.

"Truly there were those standing by who thought the same. But for
the brave expedition of our neighbour there, methinks thou wouldst
have perished; but let me tell the tale from the beginning.

"It was some time after dark--I scarce know how the hours have sped
through these two strange nights and days, when the day seems
almost dimmer than the night. But suddenly there was Janet with
us--Janet and my Lord Desborough, come with news that the fire had
threatened even St. Paul's, and that he desired help to save his
sick wife and thee, Dinah, ere the flames should have reached his
abode. Janet told us much of the poor lady's state, and we made all
fitting preparation to receive her. But none were at home save the
boys, and they had to go forth and find their father and brother,
to return with Lord Desborough to help