Page:The Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music & Romance 1832.pdf/29

 

"Under the right corner, between the sack and the" It has been stolen ! Who has been in here ? Haven't you put it somewhere else ?' " Look under the head ; it is surely there. Hurry !' " Impossible !' The fire had become scorching hot, so that I could endure it no longer. Not only the whole bed, but the wainscot and window sashes had begun to burn. I was obliged to make my way to the door. " It was left there, I tell you ; it MUST be got ; it is all our dependence for immediate funds. Ludovico, seek it once more !' exclaimed my brother. " Will you have me burn myself to death ! My shirtsleeves are burnt off now. I here some one coming.' " It is your ears-try again !' returned Petro. " I go-but you see ! ' I replied, as I turned back, holding up my arms, which were already severely scorched. 66 6 Here, take this stick,' cried Petro, wrenching off a strip from the wall, and heaving it to me; ' that will save your hands.' " I thrust it into every part of the bed, which was now little else than a mass of ashes, without striking the object of my search. My arms suffered severely from the hot air of the room the flames were almost licking my face. 666 ,Iand " can't endure it ! I would not try any longer, for the universe !' I exclaimed. " Must we lose the most valuable part of the goods ? What shall we do ?' said Petro , who now began to feel the warmth more pressingly, from which he had been before but little disturbed, there being a space in the middle of the room free from the flames. " The house,' said I, ' will soon fall over our heads, if we don't escape ; we shall be discovered ; it can't be long before the fire will be observed without.' " Well, let the cursed thing go ; it is not worth our lives. Come, and let us get out, as quick as the devil will let us.' " Ha! the door is locked !' he continued , in an alarmed voice, and working at the latch violently, with both hands. Run to the other door !' 66'I ran and tried it ; but it yielded no more than if it had been barricaded with triple bolts. " What was done with the key ?' demanded Petro searching hastily in his pockets. " It is on the outside. No one can have turned it since

we went to bed ; nobody has been in.'