‘When do you think it will happen?’ asked Carrie, very much awed, though Phil had finished off with a shrill little twirl of laughter. ‘Oh, perhaps next week, or perhaps to-night, Peter says. I believe God will come down on the gilt top of St. Paul’s myself. Such a fine place to land on from the sky,’ continued the little prophet, inspired as all prophets are by a credulous audience. ‘He’d—He’d—oh, I don’t know what I was going to say. Carrie, look round the tree and see if Peter is kissing Patty, for I want to climb the tree, and ’tis safe to begin if he’s doing that.’ Carrie obediently reconnoitred; ‘I think he’s going to,’ she reported. ‘He has his arm round her waist, and he always begins that way.’ ‘Come on then,’ said the prophet, leaving the Second Advent unceremoniously behind him, as he addressed himself to the ascent of a very smutty tree-trunk, much to the detriment of his own and Carrie’s finery. CHAPTER XIV One day not very long after this Patty came into the nursery breathless and agitated. ‘Lord save us! Miss Carrie, what do you think? Master Phil hath near killed himself! I’m but just in from a message, and who should I meet but Mr. Peter, running like mad, and with never a hat to his head! ’Taint often as Mr. Peter passeth by me in the street, but he waved and passed on without one word, and up to the door of Dr. James and kicks till the door do near split across. When he’d given his message he found time to return to where I was a-standin’—for in troth I had such a terror at the sight of Mr. Peter flyin’ down the street that I stood as if I had the palsy, and must so stand there till he returned. “Well, Mr. Peter,” I said, “you seem pressed for time this day.” “Miss Patty,” saith he (and believe me he could scarce get out the words for agitation),—“_Miss Patty, my young master’s near burned to death_.”’ Patty was breathless with agitation herself at this point, and to recover her breath and relieve her surcharged feelings she seized a brush and began to arrange Carrie’s locks with more energy than gentleness. Carrie, deeply stirred by this tale, listened in great anxiety for further details. Patty then proceeded— ‘Being dinner-time, all the house was still, and Master Phil slips from the nursery and into the master’s own room he do go, and commences playing with the log fire. He hath a great fancy for pilin’ on the logs, same as he seeth Mr. Peter a-doing, and he’d lifted one too heavy an’ overbalanced hisself into the fire. He’d on a silk suit with ruffles, and it fired direct, and the whole body of him was blazing in a moment. The master’s gentleman, as was in the dressing-room a-putting away of the master’s clothes, he came running in and pulled Master Phil out from the heart o’ the fire! They’d a business tearing off his clothes! and now there he do lie in the master’s own bed a-screamin’ in agony.’