"Halifax may be slow, but it is reached by telegraph, and the daily papers contain some news, so when I saw the headlines 'Fire at Windsor,' I naturally read the whole thing, for, according to the schedule which Lucian had from his sister, you were due here yesterday, or the day before, and we had even thought of running up to meet you."
"Though we decided it would be better sport to take you by surprise at Halifax," interposed Lucian.
"Yes, and when we read that some American ladies had barely escaped with their clothes—"
"Not all of their clothes," murmured Martine.
"We thought," continued Fritz, "that we'd risk it by rushing up here."
"So we bolted our breakfast," interposed Taps, "and made the 'Yankee' and—"
"We poked among the ruins," added Fritz," and when we didn't find any remains, we asked a few questions of some others who were poking there."
"And here we are," concluded Taps, "and from this on I'm going to keep my eye on Martine. You didn't set the fire, did you, sister?"
"There, Lucian, if you tease like that you'll be banished."
"No more banishment for either of us," cried Fritz, boldly. "You've all had accidents enough to show you the need of adequate protection."