They think to frighten us to open the door, by
making believe that the house is on fire. Miss Anne, I'm praying to God
all the while to send Martha in time.'
'So am I,' she answered, sobbing; 'but oh, Stephen, I am frightened.'
'Miss Anne,' he said, in a comforting tone, 'that chapter about faith
you've been teaching me, it says something about quenching fire.'
'"Quenched the violence of fire,"' she murmured; '"out of weakness were
made strong."'
She hid her face for a minute or two in both her hands; and then she was
strong enough to go to the servant's room, where the terrified girl was
still calling for help. The wild shouts and the deafening clamour at the
door rang through the house; but the blaze was gone down again; and when
Stephen threw open the window just over the heads of the group of men in
the yard below, there was not light enough for him to distinguish their
faces.
'I'm here,' he said,--'Stephen Fern. I found out what you are up to, and
Martha's gone to Longville for help. She'll be here afore long, and you
can't force the door open. Put out the fire in the wood-stack, and go
home.
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