Here Comes a Candle (40 page)

“
Suppose they left Sarah behind? They
’
re capable of anything. I must make sure.
”
Reaching the front of the crowd, he paused to look down at her, his face illuminated by the flames so that she could see every feature.
“
Hold this.
”
He handed her the
bag of money.
“
And wait for me here. And, Kate, whatever happens, remember I loved you.
”

“
Jonathan!
”
She could feel the heat of the fire on her face. How could she let
him
go in there? Instinctively, she put out a hand to hold him back, then paused, head up, listening.
“
Kate!
”
She had heard the voice
o
nly twice before, but recognized it instantly.
“
Kate!
”
it came again.

“
Sarah!
”
They both looked up to see a small dark figure leaning out of an upstairs window at the end of the house away from the fire.

It changed everything.
“
Go, Jon. Hurry! I
’
ll stay here. And—God speed you.
”
And then, as loud as she could against the noise of crowd and flames,
“
Wait there, Sarah, your father
’
s coming.
”

The crowd was thinning. Standing there, with unnoticed tears streaming down her cheeks, Kate watched Jonathan
’
s tall figure disappear into the blazing building. She was praying and did not know it. Looking up, she could still see Sarah
’
s small figure at her window, but looking inward now, as if expectantly. Then she vanished. Could Jonathan have reached her so soon? Please God he had. Already fire showed at the windows below. It would be a near thing.

“
What a pleasant surprise.
”
The voice, M
anningham
’
s voice, close behind her made her start and turn away from the burning building.
“
Do you know,
”
he went on,
“
I
’
m delighted to see you, Mrs. Croston. I was really afraid for you, though I made the knots as loose as I dared. But poor Arabella was a bad woman to cross, as I
’
m sure you know as well as I do.
”

“
Was? What do you mean?
”

He shrugged.
“
It
’
s a pretty safe assumption. I
’
ve never been so surprised. Arabella, of all people.
”

“
What do you mean? What happened?
”

“
She took the bit between her teeth; that
’
s what happened. We only had to come downstairs and out when the fire started, but would she? Not Arabella. Of course it was a pity I
’
d locked the little hellcat in, but what else could I do, with her carrying on so? Her room was at the other end. There wasn
’
t a chance. The corridor was full of smoke, but Arabella would go.
”

“
And you let her?
”

“
What else could I do? No time for arguing. One minute she was there, shouting something about
‘
not again,
’
the next she was gone, right into the smoke. Well, there it is. Poor Arabella
...
”
He was silent for a minute while she took it in.
“
I wonder—is it any good to try to persuade you? No,
”
with his charming laugh,
“
I can see it isn
’
t. Well, I don
’
t blame you, Kate, though it
’
s a pity: we
’
d make a fine pair, you and I. Never mind, here
’
s my consolation.
”
His hand shot out and tore the lawyer
’
s bag from under her arm.
“
Obliging of Mr. Penrose. I really hope he gets to that mad child of his in time. But just in case he does—and gets her out, which seems even less likely, I
’
ll take my leave of you, Mrs. Croston, for good.
”

“
No!
”
While he was talking she had had time to feel in her bag for Hillingford
’
s gun and bring it out, cocked and ready.
“
Don
’
t move, Mr. Manningham. It would give me pleasure, right now, to shoot you where you stand.
”
So far, what had passed between them had gone unnoticed by the people around, whose attention was fixed on the blazing building. Now she raised her voice.
“
Help!
”
she cried.
“
That man has robbed me. Stop him!
”
Her first shout, pitched still too low, was lost in the roar of the fire, but a few heads turned inquiringly, as if they had half heard something. She shouted again louder, and this time a couple of burly men turned, saw the tableau she and Manningham made in the light of the fire, and came to her help. One of them caught Manningham by the arm that held the bag.

“
Robbed you has he? Of this? Money, I reckon.
”
He weighed the bag thoughtfully in his hand before giving it back to her.
“
You
’
re in luck tonight, ma
’
am. But what shall we do with him? There
’
s no law and order in Washington right now, unless you call what the English are doing law.
”
He spat expressively.
“
But, things being
as
they are, shall I just let him go and be done with it?
”

She had been half turned away to gaze anxiously at the hotel. Flames showed everywhere on the ground floor now. If Jonathan did not come soon
...
What did she care for the money?
“
Oh yes, by all means let him go,
”
she began to say, but her voice was drowned by Manningham
’
s.

“
You
’
d best let me go,
”
he said,
“
and look sharp about it. And give me back my money too which that hussy pretends is hers. Don
’
t you see she
’
s no better than she should be? What other kind of woman would be out tonight?
”

“
He might have something there, I reckon.
”
This was the second man, who had remained in the background so far.
“
The lady
’
s mighty anxious about something, sure enough. But what? Maybe we
’
ve been just a mite hasty.
”

“
Of course you have.
”
Manningham pressed home his advantage.
“
Take me to the English general, if you like. I know him. He
’
ll vouch for me.
”

“
Will he now?
”
The first man took a firmer grip on his arm.
“
I calculated you spoke pretty funny, mister, and now I know what it is. You
’
re a dadblasted murdering blackguard of an Englishman, and I
’
ll see you damned before I let you cheat this lady out of what I have no doubt is hers.
”

He raised his voice on the word Englishman, and at the same time a lull in the roaring of the fire let it carry clearly among the crowd. Other voices picked it up.
“
An Englishman! An Englishman!
”
A growl at first, it swelled to a threatening roar.
“
Look what they
’
ve done to us!
”
The crowd pressed closely round them.
“
Look at the President
’
s palace b
ur
ning, and the Capitol, and, here, Carter
’
s Hotel that never did worse than overcharge a bit for their drinks. What do you say, boys, what shall we do with this Englishman?
”

“
Tar him and feather him.
”
A voice from the back of the crowd.

“
I reckon that would take too long.
”
The two men now each held an arm of Manningham
’
s and turned him so that he was facing the burning building.
“
Let him have a taste of his own medicine, I say. Throw
him
in the fire.
”

“
No, no! I tell you, it
’
s all a mistake!
”
Manningham writhed in their grasp, his face ghastly in the reflected glow of the fire.
“
Kate! Mrs. Croston! Tell them I
’
m innocent: I
’
ve done nothing.
”

Nothing! The thought flashed through her mind. Nothing but leave her and, it seemed, Arabella too, for dead? And—Sarah? But just the same, she could not stand by and watch this.
“
It
’
s true what he says,
”
she moved forward to stand between the struggling trio and the fire.
“
He
’
s a prisoner of war: he
’
s only just been exchanged. He can have had nothing to do with what
’
s happened today.
”

They paused for a minute, but,
“
A prisoner of war,
”
said the second of Manningham
’
s captors.
“
And where was he taken, I
’
d like to know? This ain
’
t the only outrage we
’
ve suffered. Suppose he was at Hampton last summer, or at Niagara this winter, where they left our women and children to choose between death of cold and death from the Indians. No, no: out of the way, ma
’
am. This is men
’
s work.
”

“
Men? Cowards!
”
She staggered back as he pushed her aside and the two of them began to drag Manningham, frantically struggling, toward the blazing building. The rest of the crowd moved forward with them, growling approval.
“
Don
’
t! Don
’
t let them!
”
Kate
’
s appeals were ignored as the whole crowd surged forward. She turned from them, sickened, and saw the door by which Jonathan had entered swing open and a curiously elongated figure appear, silhouetted against the fire.
Th
e crowd forgot its blood lust for a moment and gave a roar of approval
.
It was too good to be true. It was true, though. She pushed her way forward through the crowd.
“
Jon! Jonathan! You
’
re safe. And Sarah?
”

“
Kate!
”
said the black-faced little figure on his shoulder, and held out her arms.

“
Take her. Quickly.
”
Jonathan smelled of smoke.
“
I have to go back for Arabella. She
’
s hurt.
”

“
No!
”
But of course he must.
“
Be careful, Jon.
”
He had turned away already to plunge back into the burning building. Fire showed at every window now. It was madness. He had to do it. She held Sarah close.
“
Are you hurt, honey?
”
What hope of an answer?

But in fact the child in her arms shook her head, and snuggled closer into her arms, shifting the bag of money as she did so. For the first time, Kate remembered Manningham and looked around for him. But he had seized his chance to escape when the crowd
’
s attention was centered on Jonathan. So much the better, she thought, and forgot all about him as she turned once more to gaze fearfully at the burning building. No one had come out from either end since Jonathan had brought out Sarah. What hope had he?

Sarah was whimpering against her shoulder.
“
It
’
s all right, my precious; it
’
s all right, my honey.
”
If only it was true.

“
Why doesn
’
t he come?
”
Sarah
’
s voice, at once strange and heart-stirringly recognizable.

She bent impulsively to kiss the child.
“
He
’
ll come, honey.
”
Please God, let it be true.
“
He had to go back for your mother.
”
Madness to have said that.

But Sarah merely stirred a little in her arms.
“
Poor Mother,
”
she said.
“
She came for me.
”

Was this Arabella
’
s epitaph? And Jonathan
’
s? Tears filled Kate
’
s eyes as she strained them, in vain, for any sign of life in the fiercely burning building. Then, as she watched, there was a roar of flame, and a crash, and a great sigh from the crowd.
“
I reckon the staircase has gone, this end,
”
said one of the men who had helped her with Manningham.
“
I
’
m sorry, ma
’
am. He shouldn
’
t have tried.
”

She shook her head mutely, holding onto Sarah as if for dear life.

“
You
’
d best be getting home, ma
’
am, you and your little girl.
”
He meant it kindly.
“
This is no night for a lady to be out on her own.
”

Still she could not speak for tears, but stood there, helplessly shaking her head, holding Sarah in a grip that hurt.