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

Rh "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.'