‘I don’t call it a mess. There are two ways out of a house; one at the street door, and the other at the roof. Follow me.’ ‘What, upstairs again?’ ‘Yes, to be sure. Remember you are under my orders, and you may as well remember why, too.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Yes, why. Was it not because I knew more than you did, and could so take the command with more advantage to you as well as to myself? Come on; I will yet see you all safe out of this affair, you may depend upon it.’ They accordingly proceeded up stairs, where as Blodget anticipated, they found a scuttle affording an exit to the roof—through this they escaped, and scampering over the flat roofs of the adjacent houses, got safely off with their blood-bought booty. -------------- CHAPTER XIV We must now retrace our steps in order to introduce a different phase of life in the Golden City. Among the many hundreds of passengers who landed one drizzly day from one of the Panama steamers, was a young and very handsome female. Her personal attractions had excited the attention and admiration of many of the male passengers, who would fain have improved the chance of becoming more intimate with her, had they not been kept aloof by the distant manners of a gentleman, under whose protection she appeared to be, and, perhaps, even more by the young girl’s reserved ways and apparently sad expression of countenance. Who this lady was will appear in the course of our tale. Her companion called her Fanny—but whether she was his wife or not, was unknown to the rest of the passengers. About a fortnight after Fanny arrived in San Francisco she rose from her slumbers, broken by unquiet visions, with pale and gloomy looks, for she had not yet decided upon the course she would adopt in her present extremity, and her sombre countenance and spiritless manners attracted the notice of her landlady. ‘Mr. Edwards has gone to Sacramento, I hear,’ said she, as she placed the breakfast equipage upon the table. ‘Yes.’ replied Fanny, coldly. ‘He did not say anything to me about the rent,’ observed the woman, in a doubtful and hesitating tone. ‘He engaged the apartments, you know; but if you pay the rent when it is due, of course it is all the same.’ ‘You have always received your rent from me, Mrs. Smith,’ returned Fanny, somewhat haughtily, ‘and as long as I occupy your apartments I shall continue to pay for them. I hope you do not doubt my ability to do so?’ ‘Oh, no,’ said her landlady. ‘Only as Mr. Edwards engaged the apartments, and has now left without saying anything about the matter, I did not know how matters might be; but I meant no offence, I am sure.’