al anxiety was at once aroused, as well as her warm
admiration for her father's courage and devotion. Together they
sought him out and found him in one of the lower rooms, a plate of
food before him, which, however, he had hardly touched.

The moment he saw his daughter, who entered a little in advance, he
rose hastily and exclaimed:

"Tell me how she does. Has she received any hurt?"

"Lady Desborough?" asked Gertrude; "they all say she--"

"Nay, nay, child, not Lady Desborough! What is Lady Desborough to
me? I mean Dinah, that noble, devoted woman, who would not leave
her mistress even in the face of deadly peril. Tell me of her! Tell
me--"

And here the Master Builder came to a dead stop, and paused for a
moment in bashful shamefacedness most unwonted with him, for there
was Dinah entering behind his daughter, and surely she must have
heard every word.

"Dinah is not hurt, father," said Gertrude, covering the awkward
pause with ready tact; "her escape has been truly wonderful. She
wishes to know whether you also have escaped; for she tells me that
you must have faced a sea of flame in order to get to her."

"Your arm is hurt--is burned!" said Dinah coming forward quickly,
her eye detecting that much in a moment. "Gertrude, bring me the
oil and the linen. I will bind it up before I do aught else. When
the air is kept away the smart is wonderfully allayed."

The burn was rather a severe one, but the Master Builder seemed to
feel no pain under the dexterous manipulation of Dinah's gentle,
capable hands. When he would have thanked her she gave him a quick
look, and made a low-toned answer.

"Nay, nay, I can hear no thanks from thee. Do I not owe thee my
life? But for thee I should not be here now. It is I who must thank
thee--only I have no words in which to do it."

"Then let us do without words between us for the future, Dinah,"
said the Master Builder, possessing himself of one of her hands,
which was not withdrawn. "If thou hadst perished in the fire, life
had had nothing left for me. Does not that show that we belong to
each other? I have not much to give, but all I have is thine; and I
think thou mightest go the world over and not find a more loving
heart!"

CHAPTER XX. THE FLAMES STAYED.

"Something must be done! The whole city must not perish! It is a
shame that so much destruction has already taken place. What are
the city magnates about that they stand idle, wringing their hands,
whilst a