George MacDonald

St. George and St. Michael George MacDonald

As soon as supper was over in the housekeeper's room, Dorothy sped to the keep, whereshe found Caspar at work.'My lord is not yet from supper, mistress, ' he said. 'Will it please you wait while he comes?'Had it been till midnight, so long as there was a chance of his appearing, Dorothy wouldhave waited. Caspar did his best to amuse her, and succeeded, -showing her one curiousthing after another, -amongst the rest a watch that seemed to want no winding after beingonce set agoing, but was in fact wound up a little by every opening of the case to see thedial. All the while the fire-engine was at work on its mysterious task, with but now and thena moment's attention from Caspar, a billet of wood or a shovelful of sea-coal on the fire, apull at a cord, or a hint from the hooked rod. The time went rapidly. Twilight was over, Caspar had lighted his lamp, and the moon had risen, before lordHerbert came.'I am glad to find you have patience as well as punctuality in the catalogue of your virtues, mistress Dorothy, ' he said as he entered. 'I too am punctual, and am therefore sorry to havefailed now, but it is not my fault: I had to attend my father. For his sake pardon me.''It were but a small matter, my lord, even had it been uncompelled, to keep an idle girlwaiting.''I think not so, ' returned lord Herbert. 'But come now, I will explain to you my wonderfulfire-engine.'As he spoke, he took her by the hand, and led her towards it. The creature blazed, groaned, and puffed, but there was no motion to be seen about it save that of the flames through thecracks in the door of the furnace, neither was there any clanking noise of metal. A greatrushing sound somewhere in the distance, that seemed to belong to it, yet appeared too faroff to have any connection w