But Vane only stared for a moment or two aghast at the mischief, and then seized one end of the blazing hearthrug. Mr Deering seized the other, and moved by the same impulse, they shot the lamp into the hearth, turned the rug over, and began trampling upon it to put out the flame.
“Get Mrs Lee out,” shouted Deering. “Here, Vane, the table cover; fetch mats.”
The fire was still blazing up round the outside of the rug; there was a rush of flame up the chimney from the broken lamp; and the room was filling fast with a dense black evil-smelling smoke.
But Vane worked well as soon as the doctor had half carried out Mrs Lee, and kept running back with door-mats from the hall; and he was on his way with the dining-room hearthrug, when Martha’s voice came from kitchen-ward, full of indignation:
“Don’t tell me,” she said evidently to Eliza, “it’s that boy been at his sperriments again, and it didn’t ought to be allowed.”
Vane did not stop to listen, but bore in the great heavy hearthrug.
“Here, Vane, here,” cried the doctor; and the boy helped to spread it over a still blazing patch, and trampled it close just as Aunt Hannah and Eliza appeared with wash-hand jug of water and Martha with a pail.
“No, no,” cried the doctor; “no water. The fire is trampled out.”
The danger was over, and they all stood panting by the hall-door, which was opened to drive out the horrible black smoke.
“Why, Vane, my boy,” cried the doctor, as the lad stood nursing his hands, “not burned?”