"Yes, I did," said Mr. Hick. "I was working here early this morning, and I had kept the fire in all night. I was burning wood, and I dare say that after I left a spark flew out and set light to something. It may have smouldered all afternoon without any one knowing. Where's Mrs. Minns, my cook?"
"Here, sir," said poor, fat, trembling Mrs. Minns. "Oh, sir, this is a terrible thing, sir! You never like me to go into your work-cottage, sir, so I didn't go in, or I might have seen that a fire was starting!"
"The door was locked," said the policeman. "I tried it myself, before the flames got round to it. Well - there goes the last of your cottage, sir!"
There was a crash as the half-timbered walls fell in. The flames rose high, and every one stepped back5 for the heat was terrific.
Then Mr. Hick suddenly seemed to go mad. He caught hold of the policeman's arm and shook it hard. "My papers!" he said, in a shaking voice. "My precious old documents! They were in there! Get them out, get them out!"
"Now, sir, be reasonable," said Mr. Goon, looking at the furnace not far from him. "No one can save anything at all - they couldn't from the beginning."
"My PAPERS! " yelled Mr. Hick, and made a dart towards the burning workroom, as if he meant to search in the flames. Two or three people pulled him back.
"Now, sir, now, sir, don't do anything silly," said the policeman anxiously. "Were they very valuable papers, sir?"
"Can't be replaced!" moaned Mr. Hick. "They are worth thousands of pounds to me!"
"Hope they're insured, sir," said a man near by. Mr. Hick turned to him wildly.