Unfortunately Betsy had been awakened by hearing the unusual sounds of movement in the house, and as Margaret came up the staircase to her room, she opened her door, to be met by the increasing volume of smoke.
With senseless panic she threw up her arms and shrieked wildly, "Fire!—Fire!" The wild cry rang through the house, and in a moment Mrs. Medhurst was all too effectively aroused:
"My child!—my child! Save her!—save her!" she cried, as, clutching her husband's arm, she emerged on to the landing.
"She is safe, Mrs. Medhurst—downstairs; let me help you," said Margaret gently, going to her further support; but in a moment Mrs. Medhurst staggered back against her husband in a fainting condition. A moment more, and James came to his master's aid, and between them they carried her downstairs.
"It is all right, child, your mother feels faint; now be useful—put a cushion nicely for her," said Margaret's quiet voice, as the terrified child met them at the entrance.
Margaret and Betsy set about restoring Mrs. Medhurst while the master ran to the cottages nearest for assistance. More quickly than in ordinary times it would have seemed possible, the men arrived with pails of water brought from the horse-pond. No fire-engine was available nearer than six miles, and a grave danger which has come to many an isolated farmhouse now threatened Oaklands.
The smoke was issuing in volumes from a cupboard in the pantry, but no sign of flame came from there. Quickly Mr. Medhurst ran his hands over the surrounding walls, only to find they were unaffected.
"Try the kitchen, sir—maybe the old beam's caught," said James.
And James was right. The picturesque oak beam which crossed the kitchen chimney was, in the structure of the house carried down at the back of the old range, and this had evidently become ignited. Why it had endured its torturing position so long without kindling, no one can say. Now, as Mr. Medhurst ran his hand over the walls circling the mantelshelf, he came upon a spot which was red hot.
"There it is!" he exclaimed, and with a few blows of a pickaxe a man tore an opening in the brickwork, quickly to discover fire raging fiercely where the old beam was fully alight. Pails of water, and an old garden syringe (which was the only thing in the nature of a hose to be found) soon did their extinguishing work, and presently the scent of charred wood and a broken wall were the only signs of the grave danger which had threatened Oaklands.