"Yes! The top floors is mostly burnt out. You can't get a wehicle near it." "Were any lives lost?" said Janet. The Brands lived on one of the upper floors. "No, miss," said a policeman, approaching, urbane, helpful, not averse to imparting information. Janet explained that she was on her way to stay in the Mansions, and the policeman, who said that other "parties" had already arrived with the same object but could not be taken in, advised her to turn back and go with her luggage to one of the private hotels in Sloane Street, until she could, as he expressed it, "turn round." Janet did as she was bid, and half an hour later made her way on foot through the crowd to the entrance of Lowndes Mansions. The hall porter recognised her, for she had frequently stayed with the Brands, and Janet's face was not quickly forgotten. He bade the policeman who barred the entrance let her pass. The central hall, with its Oriental hangings and sham palms, was crowded with people. Idle, demoralized housemaids belonging to the upper floors, whose sphere of work was gone, stood together in whispering groups watching the spectacle. Grave men in high hats and over-long buttoned-up frock-coats greeted each other silently, and then produced passes which admitted them to the jealously guarded iron staircase. The other staircase was burnt out at the top, though from the hall it showed no trace of anything but of the water which yesterday had flowed down it in waves, and which still oozed from the heavy pile stair-carpet, which the salvage men were beginning to take up. The hall porter and the unemployed lift man stood together, silent, stupefied, broken with fatigue, worn out with answering questions. "Are Mr and Mrs Brand all right?" gasped Janet, thrilled by the magnitude of the unseen disaster above, which seemed to strike roots of horror down to the basement. "Every one is all right," said the lift man automatically. "No lives lost. Two residents shook. One leg broke hamong the hemployees--compound fracture." "Mrs Brand was shook," said the hall porter callously. "She had a fall." "Where is she now?" enquired Janet. The hall porter looked at her apathetically, and continued: "Mr Brand was taking 'orse exercise in the Park. Mrs Brand was still in her bedroom. The fire broke out, cause unbeknownst, at ten o'clock yesterday morning precisely. Ten by the barracks clock it was. The hemployees worked the hose until the first hingine arrived at quarter past." "Twenty past," corrected the lift man. "And Mrs Brand?" said Janet again. "Mrs Brand must 'ave been dressing, for she was in her dressing-gown, and she must ha' run down the main staircase afore it got well alight; at least, she was found unconscious-like three flights down. Some say as she was mazed by the smoke, and some say as she fell over the banisters." "The banisters is gone," said the lift man.