about
the shilling. Yours sincerely, T.J. iv."

Some of the Philosophers demurred to the sentence about the shilling,
which appeared to commit them to an opinion they did not hold. But I
had my way for once, and retired to bed, when all was done, wondering
whenever peace would come, and I and my friend should rejoice to see one
another again as of old.

I do not know how soon I fell asleep. It must have been pretty soon;
for I can remember seeing Crofter come into the dormitory and turn out
the gas; and I can remember in the general stillness hearing voices and
the noise of poking the fire in Mr Sharpe's room downstairs. After
that I forgot everything, until suddenly I discovered myself awake
again.

Things seemed strange as I slowly turned my head on the pillow and
blinked up with half-opened eyes. The dormitory seemed hot and stuffy;
somebody or something was making a noise, and I wished they would stop.
I could see nothing, except the hazy outline of my shirt hanging on the
back of the chair, and even that seemed to come and go as I watched it.
I was indisposed to move, and my mind was half asleep still. The one
thing I did long for was for the noise to stop and some one to open a
window. It was simply choking; I could hardly breathe, and--

Suddenly my shirt seemed to turn red, and by the lurid light it emitted
I could see smoke coming over the top of the door. Then the side of the
room grew red too, and seemed to close in on me, getting redder and
redder as it did so, till finally by a frantic effort I raised myself in
my bed and yelled--

"Fire!"

The answer was a great volume of smoke, which leapt out at me like a
savage beast and sent me back on to the pillow; a deafening roar
outside, and a sudden blaze, which half-blinded me and stifled the cry
that was on my lips.

That is all I can remember distinctly. I was vaguely conscious of
hearing my name called, of seeing my door move, of everything whirling
round and round, and finally of falling, or getting, or being dragged
out of bed.

The next thing I was aware of was that I was lying in a strange bed,
with a headache, but otherwise tolerably comfortable, though awfully
thirsty, and as weak as a mouse.

"Water, please," I remarked at large.

Instantly a face bent over me--a strangely familiar face, which after a
moment's reflection I told myself was my mother's.

It was such a surprise that I forgot about the water, and took a nap
instea