"I took a few liberties with your front door," Peter said, "finding it open and no one about. Oh, no, it hadn’t much headway; I saw that when I decided not to call out the department. It was quite a blaze, but mostly the light stuff about. It must have caught from the curtains blowing into that student-lamp." "That’s my fault," Murray owned. "I hate electric lights to read by, so I lighted that lamp here. I was reading, but the room began to feel stuffy, and I opened the window. It looked so pleasant outside I thought I ’d take a turn round the square. I ’m not a fast walker"--he glanced at his lame leg--"and I was probably at the other side of the square when you came in. Look here, you must have been mighty quick to take in the situation, for I couldn’t have been away over five minutes when you saw the blaze." "My sister and I happened to be standing out on our porch--you see, we live just round the corner in Gay Street--about opposite these windows here----" "I know," Murray nodded. "I ’ve seen you." "We thought at first it was a cannel-coal fire--you know how they flash with a red light. But when we suspected, we just ran across. I hope your little sister wasn’t too badly frightened?" "Her room’s next to this. Poor child, she _was_ frightened. I deserve a thrashing, you know, for my carelessness. Every one of the family is out, and all the servants except my mother’s maid. It was very kind of your sister to take Shirley in charge. She’s downstairs with her now." "Will your people be getting news of the fire-alarm and be frightened?" Peter asked, putting on his coat. "I don’t think so. Father and mother are out of town at a dinner, and my sister’s at a party in a country house. They won’t be likely to hear. I don’t know where my brother is. Don’t go. Must you? I--you know I’m awfully obliged to you for this----" "It’s nothing. Glad I happened to be on hand," and Peter would have said good night and run down the stairs, but he saw that his host meant to go down with him. So he descended slowly, keeping pace with the other’s halting steps, and talking with him as he went. "Your sister was here when I came in," said Murray, glancing into the small reception-room. The maid, who had been watching the departure of the crowd from the window of this room, turned to him. "The young lady took Miss Shirley home with her," she explained. "I was that flustered I let her go without so much as asking you, Mr. Murray, but----" "It’s all right," Murray put in, hastily. "It was just the thing to do, the child was so scared. If they ’re at your house, I ’ll just step over there with you, if you don’t mind." "Glad to have you," said Peter, wondering what Jane would say to this second unexpected introduction.