Itwasaginpalace。Maryalmostwishedherselfaway，sofearfulasMargarethadsaidwasthesightwhentheyjoinedthecrowdassembledtowitnessthefire。Therewasamurmurofmanyvoiceswhenevertheroaringoftheflamesceasedforaninstant。Itwaseasytoperceivethemassweredeeplyinterested。“Whatdotheysay？“askedMargaretofaneighhourinthecrowd，asshecaughtafewwords，clearanddistinctfromthegeneralmurmur。“Thereneverisanyoneinthemill，surely!“exclaimedMary，astheseaofupward-turnedfacesmovedwithoneaccordtotheeasternend，lookingintoDunhamStreet，thenarrowbacklanealreadymentioned。Thewesternendofthemill，whithertheragingflamesweredrivenbythewind，wascrownedandturretedwithtriumphantfire。Itsentforthitsinfernaltonguesfromeverywindowhole，lickingtheblackwallswithamorousfiercenessitwasswayedorfellbeforethemightygale，onlytorisehigherandyethigher，toravageandroaryetmorewildly。Thispartoftherooffellinwithanastoundingcrash，whilethecrowdstruggledmoreandmoretopressintoDunhamStreet，forwhatweremagnificentterribleflames——whatwerefallingtimbersortotteringwalls，incomparisonwithhumanlife？There，wherethedevouringflameshadbeenrepelledbytheyetmorepowerfulwind，butwhereyetblacksmokegushedoutfromeveryaperture——thereatoneofthewindowsonthefourthstory，orratheradoor-waywhereacranewasfixedtohoistupgoods，mightoccasionallybeseen，whenthethickgustsofsmokeclearedpartiallyawayforaninstant，theimploringfiguresoftwomen。Theyhadremainedaftertherestoftheworkmen，forsomereasonorother，and，owingtothewindhavingdriventhefireintheoppositedirection，hadperceivednosightorsoundofalarm，tilllongafterifanythingcouldbecalledlonginthatthrongofterrorswhichpassedbyinlessthanhalfanhourthefirehadconsumedtheoldwoodenstaircaseattheotherendofthebuilding。Iamnotsurewhetheritwasnotthefirstsoundoftherushingcrowdbelowthatmadethemfullyawareoftheirawfulposition。“Wherearetheengines？“askedMargaretofherneighbour。“They’recoming，nodoubt；but，blessyou，Ithinkit’sbaretenminutessincewefirstfoundoutth’fire；itragessowi’thiswind，andallsodry-like。““Isnoonegoneforaladder？“gaspedMary，asthemenwereperceptibly，thoughnotaudibly，prayingthegreatmultitudebelowforhelp。“Ay，Wilson’ssonandanothermanwereofflikeashot，well-nighfiveminutesagone。Butth’masons，andslaters，andsuchlike，havelefttheirwork，andlockeduptheyards。“Wilson!then，wasthatmanwhosefigureloomedoutagainsttheever-increasingdullhotlightbehind，wheneverthesmokewasclear，——wasthatGeorgeWilson？
Marysickenedwithterror。SheknewheworkedforCarsons；butatfirstshehadnoideathatanyliveswereindanger；andsinceshewasawareofthis，theheatedair，theroaringflames，thedizzylight，andtheagitatedandmurmuringcrowd，hadbewilderedherthoughts。“Oh!letusgohome，MargaretIcannotstay。““Wecannotgo!Seehowwearewedgedinbyfolks。PoorMary!yewon’thankerafterafireagain。Hark!listen!“Forthroughthehushedcrowd，pressingroundtheangleofthemill，andfillingupDunhamStreet，mightbeheardtherattleoftheengine，theheavy，quicktreadofloadedhorses。“ThankGod!“saidMargaret’sneighbour，“theengine’scome。“Anotherpause；theplugswerestiff，andwatercouldnotbegot。Thentherewasapressurethroughthecrowd，thefrontrowsbearingbackonthosebehind，tillthegirlsweresickwiththecloserammingconfinement。
Thenarelaxation，andabreathingfreelyoncemore。“’TwasyoungWilsonandafiremanwi’aladder，“saidMargaret’sneighbour，atallmanwhocouldoverlookthecrowd。“Oh，telluswhatyousee？“beggedMary。“They’vegettenitfixedagainstthegin-shopwall。Oneo’themeni’thefactoryhasfellback；dazedwi’thesmoke，I’llwarrant。Thefloor’snotgivenwaythere。God!“saidhe，bringinghiseyelowerdown，“theladder’stooshort!It’sa’overwi’them，poorchaps。Th’fire’scomingslowandsuretothatend，andaforethey’veeithergettenwater，oranotherladder，they’llbedeadoutandout。Lordhavemercyonthem!“Asob，asifofexcitedwomen，washeardinthehushofthecrowd。Anotherpressureliketheformer!MaryclungtoMargaret’sarmwithapinchinggrasp，andlongedtofaint，andbeinsensible，toescapefromtheoppressingmiseryofhersensations。Aminuteortwo。“They’vetakentheladderintoth’TempleofApollor。Can’tpressbackwithittotheyarditcamefrom。Amightyshoutarose；asoundtowakethedead。Uponhigh，quiveringintheair，wasseentheendoftheladder，protrudingoutofagarretwindow，inthegableendoftheginpalace，nearlyoppositetothedoorwaywherethemenhadbeenseen。Thoseinthecrowdnearestthefactory，andconsequentlybestabletoseeuptothegarretwindow，saidthatseveralmenwereholdingoneend，andguidingbytheirweightitspassagetothedoorway。Thegarretwindow-framehadbeentakenoutbeforethecrowdbelowwereawareoftheattempt。Atlength——foritseemedlong，measuredbybeatinghearts，thoughscarcetwominuteshadelapsed——theladderwasfixed，anaerialbridgeatadizzyheight，acrossthenarrowstreet。Everyeyewasfixedinunwinkinganxiety，andpeople’sverybreathingseemedstilledinsuspense。Themenwerenowheretoheseen，butthewindappeared，forthemoment，higherthanever，anddrovebacktheinvadingflamestotheotherend。MaryandMargaretcouldseenowrightabovethemdancedtheladderinthewind。Thecrowdpressedbackfromunder；firemen’shelmetsappearedatthewindow，holdingtheladderfirm，whenaman，withquick，steadytread，andunmovinghead，passedfromonesidetotheother。Themultitudedidnotevenwhisperwhilehecrossedtheperilousbridge，whichquiveredunderhim；butwhenhewasacross，safecomparativelyinthefactory，acheeraroseforaninstant，checked，however，almostimmediately，bytheuncertaintyoftheresult，andthedesirenotinanywaytoshakethenervesofthebravefellowwhohadcasthislifeonsuchadie。“Thereheisagain!“sprungtothelipsofmany，astheysawhimatthedoorway，standingasifforaninstanttobreatheamouthfulofthefresherair，beforehetrustedhimselftocross。Onhisshouldersheboreaninsensiblebody。“It’sJemWilsonandhisfather，“whisperedMargaret；butMaryknewitbefore。Thepeopleweresickwithanxiousterror。Hecouldnolongerbalancehimselfwithhisarms；everythingmustdependonnerveandeye。Theysawthelatterwasfixed，bythepositionofthehead，whichneverwavered；theladdershookunderthedoubleweight；butstillhenevermovedhishead——hedarednotlookbelow。Itseemedanagebeforethecrossingwasaccomplished。
Atlastthewindowwasgained；thebearerrelievedfromhisburden；bothhaddisappeared。Thenthemultitudemightshout；andabovetheroaringflames，louderthantheblowingofthemightywind，arosethattremendousburstofapplauseatthesuccessofthedaringenterprise。Thenashrillcrywasheard，asking，“Istheoudmanalive，andlikelytodo？““Aye，“answeredoneofthefirementothehushedcrowdbelow。“He’scomingroundfinely，nowhe’shadadashofcowdwater。“Hedrewbackhishead；andtheeagerinquiries，theshouts，thesea-likemurmursofthemovingrollingmassbeganagaintobeheardbutonlyforaninstant。InfarlesstimethaneventhatinwhichIhaveendeavouredbrieflytodescribethepauseofevents，thesameboldherosteppedagainupontheladder，withevidentpurposetorescuethemanyetremainingintheburningmill。Hewentacrossinthesamequicksteadymannerasbefore，andthepeoplebelow，madelessacutelyanxiousbyhisprevioussuccess，weretalkingtoeachother，shoutingoutintelligenceoftheprogressofthefireattheotherendofthefactory，tellingoftheendeavoursofthefiremenatthatparttoobtainwater，whilethecloselypackedbodyofmenheavedandrolledfromsidetoside。Itwasdifferentfromtheformersilentbreathlesshush。Idonotknowifitwerefromthiscause，orfromtherecollectionofperilpast，orthathelookedbelow，inthebreathingmomentbeforereturningwiththeremainingpersonaslightlittlemanslungacrosshisshoulders，butJemWilson’sstepwaslesssteady，histreadmoreuncertain；
heseemedtofeelwithhisfootforthenextroundoftheladder，towaver，andfinallytostophalf-way。Bythistimethecrowdwasstillenough；