Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 1.djvu/199

 perty has been consumed by the flames. Good heaven! how shall we keep our little helpless babes from starving."

Repeating my question, when that terrible accident had happened, the poor unfortunate people told me, their village had been set on fire the day after we had left them.

Dreadful apprehensions filled my soul, and the Austrian's looks seemed to confirm them.

When I inquired after my former host, I was told that he had lost his life in the flames. The fire, said the poor people, broke out suddenly, in different places, in the dead of night, they had not been able to save their property, and a great number of the inhabitants, with their cattle, had perished in the flames. This horrid tale made my blood run chill, being convinced that I had been the primary cause of that dreadful event.