Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

100 ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES which was composed of thatched straw, as is usual with buildings of the kind. Eloise did all she possibly could to console her suffermg parent, while De Rosann joined Belle-Rose and Dorval in their herculean task of re- moving the furniture from the burning house to the extremity of the enclosure, so that the falling firebrands might not reach any in- flammable matter. Mr. Clayton aided the servant in securing the trunks and goods which had been brought from the carriage and transported to the apartments whence himself and the ladies were now exiled by the conflagration. Meantime the fire had rapidly increased, and a great portion of the roof had already fallen in. ‘The red flanics emitted volumes of black smoke, pieces of burning wood fell in all directions, and the progress of the destructive element resembled the sound of a distant tide flowing in on a beachy shore without the occasional intervals caused by the reacting ebb. The countenances of those who laboured hard to save the effects of the unfortunate Louis Dorval, were rendered hideous by the glare of yellow light that gave an unnatural tinge to every thing within its scope ; and their figures, increased to gigantic stature in the deceptive lustre, appeared to be those of devils hovering round an accursed furnace, in which the souls of the damned were suffering endless torments. Presently the entire roof gave way with a hideous crash; and for an instant the flames appeared to be totally extinguished, a thick cloud of smoke ascending in their place. ‘Then all was dark and sombre: but in a minute the fire burst forth with renewed vigour, as a combatant returns to the charge more furiously after a momentary rest. So terrible was the heat, that the farmer and his generous assistants were at length obliged to retire from the immediate vicinity of the house, having rescued nearly every thing from the increasing desolation: the panes of glass melted away from their frames, and did not break; rafters, planks, and tiles fell with appalling din; smoke mingled with flame—staircases and floors gave way—the bare walls alone remained. Morning now dawned on the pile of ruins, and the beams of the rising sun glanced upon the devastation as if it were still the large and joyous dwelling that greeted their presence the day before. Alas! what a change had taken place in a few short hours: a single night was suffi- cient to rob the unfortunate Louis Dorval of half his little possessions. Vhen too late, he recollected that his own carelessness must have caused the fire; he had ascended to the loft with a candle to fetch the mat- tresses for Belle-Rose and De Rosann; a spark had most probably caught the straw that was piled there in quantities; and the ruin of his paternal dwelling might be traced to one of those combinations of cir- cumstances over which mankind has apparently no control. At a distance of about a hundred yards from the out-house or barn where the females had taken refuge, was situate the stable. Belle- Rose, who had worked like a slave in the cause of the farmer, and who found that he could do no more good by standing idly in the neighbour- hood of the smoking ruins, joyfully hailed a manger as a comfortable couch ‘for the rest of the night,” to use a common expression, although the sun had already risen above the eastern hcrizon. He quietly opened the deor; and having assured himself that there were no dogs to dispute CONNIE ACO S (E(0)