"It must be a great fire!--perhaps the work of an incendiary!" cried Mr. Nichols. "I will not attribute the mischief to Jacobite plotters, but I fear it will turn out that they are the instigators of it." "It looks suspicious, I must own," remarked Mr. Lewthwaite. "You have no warrant for these observations, gentlemen," said Jemmy, indignantly. Still the fire-bells rang on with undiminished fury, and numbers of people were seen running across the square--shouting loudly as they hurried along. "Where is the fire?" cried Beppy. "It must be in the neighbourhood of the collegiate church," replied Mr. Lewthwaite. "All the houses are old in that quarter, and built of timber. Half the town will be consumed. That will be lamentable, but it will not be surprising, since the inhabitants have assuredly called down a judgment upon their heads from their propensity to rebellion." Jemmy Dawson, who had great difficulty in controlling his anger, was about to make a sharp rejoinder to this speech, when a look from Monica checked him. Just then several men ran past, and he hailed one of them, who stopped. "Can you tell me where the fire is?" he asked. "There be no fire, sir," replied the man, with a grin. "No fire!" exclaimed Jemmy, astounded. "Why, then, are the fire-bells being rung thus loudly?" "To collect a mob, if yo mun know," rejoined the man. "For what purpose?" demanded Jemmy. "Rebellion! rebellion! Can you doubt it?" said Mr. Lewthwaite. "Ay, yo may ca' it rebellion an yo like, but this be the plain truth," said the man. "T' magistrates ha' just gi'en orders that Salford Bridge shan be blowed up to hinder t' Pretender, as yo ca' him, or t' prince, as we ca' him, fro' comin' into t' town, wi' his army. Now we Jacobites won't let the bridge be meddled with, so we han had the fire-bells rung to rouse the townsfolk." "And you mean to resist the authorities?" cried Mr. Lewthwaite. "Ay, that we do," rejoined the man, defiantly. "They shan't move a stone of the bridge." "Beware what you do! You are rebelling against your lawful sovereign as represented by the magistrates. Forget not that rebellion provokes the Lord's anger, and will bring down his vengeance upon you." "I canna bide to listen to a sarmon just now," rejoined the man, hurrying off. "Can't we obtain a sight of what is going on at the bridge from the banks of the river?" said Constance. "Yes, I will take you to a spot that commands a complete view of the bridge," rejoined Jemmy; "where you can see all that is to be seen, and yet not run the slightest risk." "Shall we go, Monica?" said Constance. "By all means," cried the other. "I should like to make one of the party," said Beppy, who had just recollected that Tom Syddall's shop, where she knew Atherton had taken refuge, adjoined the bridge, and she thought it almost certain the young man would take part in this new disturbance.