"I want you to come home with me, my dear," he said to Melina; "your kind neighbour, here, thinks with me that you'd better come. What do you say?"
"Oh yes, yes!" Melina cried. She rose from the sofa as she spoke; then a sudden thought struck her, and she said hesitatingly: "I wish I knew more about Gran—perhaps I ought to go to the hospital myself to find out—"
"No," interposed Mrs. Jones decidedly, "not without you are sent for. Go with Mr. Brown like a good girl; I am sure you ought."
After that, Melina very thankfully accompanied Mr. Brown to his home. Thus it came about that the Browns had an unexpected visitor to their early breakfast that morning. They made Melina sit down with them at the table, and though she had previously declared herself not hungry, she drank some coffee and ate some bread and butter. Mrs. Brown was rather silent during the meal, as was her husband, both fearing that Mrs. Berryman's condition must be very serious; but Agnes and the boys kept up the conversation, asking Melina numerous questions.
"I think you must have been most frightened when you found that the stairs were on fire," remarked Agnes; "oh, weren't you dreadfully scared?"
"Yes," assented Melina. "I was afraid I should be burnt alive; I did not think anyone would be about, and I did not know what the time was—that it was so near daybreak."
"Who first found out about the fire?" asked Agnes.
"An engine-driver who goes on duty at five in the morning," replied Mr. Brown; "he was passing Mrs. Berryman's back door when he saw that the scullery was full of smoke and flames, and gave the alarm immediately."
"It was terrible waiting at the window before the ladder came," Melina said, shuddering; "the smoke was getting thicker and thicker. I tried to pray, but I couldn't—not properly. I didn't seem able to think." She appeared very troubled.
"Many a prayer has never been put into words, my dear; God reads our hearts, you know. Prayer is the uplifting of the heart to God."