Fighting the Flames

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

  A SMALL TEA-PARTY.

  Miss Tippet's tea-party began by the arrival of Willie Willders, who,being fond of society, and regardless of fashion, understood his hostessliterally when she named her tea-hour! For full half an hour,therefore, he had the field to himself, and improved the occasion byentertaining Miss Tippet and Emma Ward with an account of the wonderfulinventions that emanated from the fertile brain of Mr Thomas Tippet.

  Strange to say, a deep and lasting friendship had sprung up between theeccentric old gentleman and his volatile assistant. Willie sympathisedso fully with his master in his wild schemes, and displayed withal suchan aptitude for mechanical contrivance, and such a ready appreciation ofcomplex theories, that Mr Tippet soon came to forget his extreme youth,and to converse with him, propound schemes and new ideas to him, andeven to ask his advice; with as much seriousness as though he had been afull-grown man.

  This was of course very gratifying to Willie, who repaid his master'scondescension and kindness by devoting himself heart and soul to theduties of what he styled his "profession." He was a good deal put outwhen his brother Frank asked him one day what his "profession" was, andresolving never again to be placed in such an awkward position ofignorance, asked his employer what was the name of his business, towhich the employer replied that it had no particular name; but, on beingurged by his assistant to give it a name, he suggested that he might, ifso disposed, style himself a poly-artist, which, he explained, meant anartist of many occupations. Willie felt that this might be translated"jack-of-all-trades," but on mature consideration he resolved to adoptit, in the belief that few people would understand what it meant, andthat thereby he would be invested with a halo of mystery, which was,upon the whole, a gratifying reflection.

  Gradually, however, Willie was led to diverge from his employer to hisbrother Frank, in regard to whom Miss Tippet entertained the strongestfeelings of admiration, because of his courageous conduct in savingLouisa Auberly. Willie pursued this theme all the more willingly thatEmma appeared to be deeply interested in it.

  Emma Ward was very romantic in her nature; yet she had a keenappreciation of the ludicrous,--which caused her to appear somewhatlight-headed and giddy in the eyes of superficial observers; but shepossessed an underlying earnestness of soul, which displayed itself in athousand ways to those who had much intercourse with her. She was anardent hero-worshipper; and while Miss Tippet was her heroine, FrankWillders was, at that time, her _beau ideal_ of a hero, although sheonly knew him from description.

  Willie was still in the middle of a glowing account of a fire, in whichFrank and his friends Dale and Baxmore were the chief actors; and Emmawas listening with heightened colour, parted lips, and sparkling eyes,when Matty Merryon opened the door and announced Mr Tippet.

  That gentleman was still in the act of shaking his sister's hands withboth of his, and kissing her on both cheeks heartily, when Mattyannounced Miss Deemas.

  Matty, being Irish, allowed her soul to gush out too obviously in hertones; so that her feelings towards the Eagle, though unexpressed, werediscernible.

  Miss Deemas strode up to Miss Tippet, and pecked her on the right cheek,much as an eagle might peck a tender rabbit, which it could slay anddevour if it chose, but which it preferred to spare for a time. She wasimmediately introduced to Mr Tippet, whom she favoured with a stiffbow, intended to express armed neutrality in the meantime; with apossibility, if not a probability, of war in the future. The eccentricgentleman felt chilled, but ventured to express an opinion in regard tothe weather, glancing for confirmation of the same towards the window,through which he naturally enough expected to see the sky; but wasbaffled by only seeing the green venetian blinds, which ruled off theopposite houses in narrow stripes. Before he had recovered himself tomake any further observation, Miss Deemas had attempted, in acondescending way, to peck the cheek of Emma Ward; but that young lady,feeling disinclined, so managed that she received the peck on herforehead.

  On Willie, Miss Deemas bestowed a glance of utter indifference, whichWillie replied to with a gaze of desperate defiance.

  Then Miss Deemas seated herself on the sofa, and asked her "dear friend"how she did, and how she felt, and whether things in general were muchas usual; from which elevated region of generalities she graduallydescended into the more particular sphere of gossip and scandal.

  It is only just to Miss Tippet to say that the Eagle did not find her acongenial bird of prey in this region. On the contrary, she had to dragher unwilling friend down into it; and as Miss Tippet was tooconscientious and kind-hearted to agree with her in her sweepingcensures and caustic observations and wilful misconstructions, it isdifficult to conceive wherein she (the Eagle) found pleasure in hersociety. Probably it was because she found in her one who would submitmeekly to any amount of contradiction, and listen patiently to anyamount of vituperative declamation.

  "So it seems Mr Auberly has disinherited and dismissed his son, mydear," said Miss Deemas, smoothing her dress with both hands, as thoughshe were about to lay Mr Auberly in her lap, and analyse him.

  "I'm sorry to say that it is too true, Julia," answered Miss Tippet,with a sigh.

  "Ha! it's so like one of these creatures," said Miss Deemas, pursing herthin lips; "so domineering, so towering, in their pride of mere physicalpower."

  Mr Tippet glanced at the Eagle in surprise, not being able tounderstand to what sort of "creatures" she made reference.

  "Poor Frederick," sighed Miss Tippet, "I don't know what he'll do (ringthe bell, Emma, darling); he's such a bold, high-spirited young man, andit's all owing to his determination to take to--to what's-'is-name as aprofession (bring the tea, Matty). It's very sad."

  "That must be a new sort of profession," observed Miss Deemas pointedly.

  "Oh! I mean painting, you know. It's impossible to arrange one'sthings in such very correct language, you know, dear Julia; you arereally too--oh! did you hear of Joe Corney, and what's-his--fireman'svisit to Mrs Denman? To be sure you did; I forgot it was in yourhouse. It was such a funny account; you heard of it, brother (ring thebell again, dear), didn't you?"

  Mr Tippet, whose wonted vivacity was quite subdued by the freezinginfluence of the Eagle, said that he had not heard of it; whereupon MissTippet said that she had heard of it, and so had Willie Willders, whohad heard of it from his brother Frank, who had heard of it from JoeCorney himself; and then she attempted to relate the matter, but failed,and finally asked Willie to tell the story, which Willie did with muchgusto; looking at Miss Deemas all the time, and speaking in a verypositive tone, as if he thought she was doubting every word he said, andwas resolved to hurl it in her teeth, whether she chose to believe it ornot.

  "Capital!" exclaimed Mr Tippet, laughing heartily, when Willie hadconcluded; "what an energetic old lady she must be! Really, I must getintroduced to her, and show her the self-acting fire-extinguisher I havejust invented. You remember it, Willie?" Willie nodded. "I've laid itaside for some time; but it is very nearly complete now. A little morework on it will finish it. My only difficulty in regard to it is,madam," he addressed himself to Miss Deemas here, "that it is apt toburst, and I am uncertain whether or not to add a safety-valve toprevent such a catastrophe, or to make the metal so very strong, thatnothing short of gunpowder would burst it; but then, you see, that wouldmake the whole affair too heavy. However, these are only minordifficulties of detail, which a little thought will overcome."

  Miss Deemas received all this with a sinister smile, and replied withthe single word, "Oh!" after which she turned immediately to MissTippet, and remarked that the weather had been unusually warm of latefor the season of the year, which remark so exasperated Willie Willdersthat he turned with a face of crimson to Emma, and asked her if shedidn't feel a draught of cold air coming over her from somewhere, andwhether she would not sit nearer the fire, and farther away from thewindow!

  Willie meant this for an uncommonly severe cut; for Miss Deemas sat atthe e
nd of the sofa, near the window!

  Fortunately, at this point, Matty Merryon ushered in Loo Auberly, whowas instantly enfolded in Miss Tippet's arms, and thence transferred toEmma's, in which she was led to the sofa, and gently deposited in thesoftest corner.

  "Darling Loo!" exclaimed Miss Tippet, with tears in her eyes; "you look_so_ thin and pale."

  There could be no doubt on that point. Little Loo, as Emma styled her,was worn to a shadow by sickness, which had hitherto baffled thedoctor's skill. But she was a beautiful shadow; such a sweet, gentleshadow, that one might feel thankful, rather than otherwise, to behaunted by it.

  "Pray don't mind me; I'm too tired to speak to you yet; just go ontalking. I like to listen," said Loo softly.

  With ready kindness, Miss Tippet at once sought to draw attention fromthe child, by reverting to Mrs Denman; and Matty created a littleopportune confusion by stumbling into the room with the tea.

  Matty usually tripped over the carpet at the door, and never seemed tobecome wiser from experience.

  "Poor Mrs Denman," said Miss Tippet, pouring out the tea; "it must havebeen an awful shock; think of a (Sugar, brother? I always forget), whatwas I--oh, yes; think of a fireman seizing one round the (Cream, Willie?I know you have a sweet tooth, so I don't need to ask if you takesugar)--yes, he carried her down that dreadful what-d'ye-call-it, andinto the next house with nothing (A little more sugar, Julia? No? )--nothing on but her what's-'is-name. Oh! it was sad; sad to lose all herfine things, too--her furniture, and--and thingumies. Do try a piece ofcake, brother."

  "I know a worse case than hers," said Willie, with a knowing look.

  "Do you?" exclaimed Miss Tippet.

  "Oh! do tell it," cried Emma earnestly; "he's just been telling it tome, and it is _so_ sad and interesting."

  "Come, let's hear about it, lad," said Mr Tippet.

  Thus encouraged, Willie related his adventure with the clown's family,and told his tale with such genuine feeling, that Miss Tippet, Loo, andEmma found their eyes moist when he had concluded.

  There was a good deal of comment upon this subject, and Miss Deemasanimadverted very strongly upon actors in general and clowns inparticular. As to ballet-girls, she could not find words to express hercontempt for them; but in reference to this Miss Tippet ventured torebuke her friend, and to say that although she could not and would notdefend the position of these unfortunates, yet she felt that they werevery much to be pitied, seeing that they were in many cases trained totheir peculiarly indelicate life by their parents, and had been taughtto regard ballet-dancing as quite a proper and legitimatewhat's-its-name. No doubt this was only a palliation of the life theyled, but she thought that if anyone was to be severely blamed in thematter it was the people who went to witness and encourage such wickeddisplays.

  Miss Deemas dissented generally from all her friend's observations, and,wishing to change the subject, asked Loo if her father was coming tofetch her home.

  "No," said Loo; "dear papa is not well to-night, but he is to send thecarriage for me. Oh, I wish," she continued, reverting to the previoussubject, "I _wish_ I could do something for these poor people. I'm sovery, very sorry for the fairy."

  "So you can, if you choose," said Miss Deemas sharply.

  "No, indeed I cannot," replied Loo in an earnest voice; "I'm too ill andweak now to be of any use to anyone. Once I was useful to dear papa,but ever since the fire I have not been of use to anybody; only ahindrance to them. Since I have been ill I have thought much more aboutwhat I read in the Bible, and I've had a great desire to do good in someway or other, but how can I--so weak and helpless?"

  Loo almost sobbed, for her sympathies had been awakened by Willie, and achord had been touched which had been vibrating in her breast for someweeks past.

  "Your father is rich, is he not?" asked the Eagle.

  "Yes, I believe so."

  "Well, a word to him may be the cause of much good, in the shape ofmoney at least, to people in distress; but rich people don't always liketo spend their money in that way."

  Loo hung down her head and made no reply, for she knew that her fatherdid not like to part with money. She had often heard him refuse to doso in days gone by, even when very pathetic appeals (as she thought)were made to him; and experience told her that it was in vain to lookfor help in that quarter.

  The party was now increased by the arrival of Frederick Auberly, who atonce infused life into everybody, except Miss Deemas, who had lifeenough of her own, and would by no means accept the loan of any fromanyone else. Fred therefore ignored her altogether, and told storiesand cracked jokes and sang songs as if no such female iceberg werepresent.

  Poor Loo was overjoyed to see him, and laying her head on his breast,bade him speak away and not ask questions; only speak, and allow her tolisten and rest.

  Fred obeyed, and at once began an earnest discussion with Willie as tothe best method of getting a stout gentleman out of a third-floor windowin case of fire, when Matty Merryon entered with a flushed face and saidthat a fireman who would not give his name wished to see Willie Willdersfor a minute; and she was inclined to think it was his brother.

  "What! Frank?" exclaimed Willie, rising to go downstairs.

  "Stay, Willie," cried Miss Tippet eagerly; "don't go down. Pray let mehave him up; I should so like to see him, and I'm sure so would Loo; theman, you know, who went up the what's-its-name, and brought you--yes,send him up, Matty."

  "Plaze, mim, he won't come," replied the girl, "I know'd ye would liketo see him, an' axed him in."

  "Tell him," said Miss Tippet, "that I request it as a favour."

  While Matty was delivering this message, the Eagle took occasion tosniff once or twice in a contemptuous manner, and wondered why peopleworshipped men just because they happened to be big, and what theycalled handsome. For her part, she hated all men, but if she were to beobliged to choose between any class (which she was thankful to say was_not_ necessary in her case), she would certainly give the preference tougly men and small.

  Willie Willders nodded his head approvingly, and, being exasperated intoa savage serio-comic condition, as well by the Eagle's voice and aspectas by her sentiments, he said that she was quite right, and that if _he_were a lady like her he would hold the same opinions, because then, saidhe, "being stout, I could wallop my husband an' keep him down, an' thecontrast of his ugly face with mine would not be so obvious."

  Frank's step on the stair fortunately prevented this open and desperateattack being noticed. Next moment all turned their eyes in breathlessexpectation towards the door.

  Being on duty, Frank appeared in fireman's costume, with the sailor-likeundress cap in his hand. He bowed to the company, and apologised toMiss Tippet for intruding, but he had wished to ask his brother Willieto call at the fire station on his way home to convey a letter to hismother, and merely meant to see him at the door.

  "I'm _very_ glad you came, Mr Willders," said Miss Tippet, "for Iassure you we all regard you as the preserver of our dear Miss Auberly'slife when you went up the--the--thing. Here she is. You must shake--that's it--so nice!"

  The last part of Miss Tippet's remark referred to Loo stretching out herhand to Frank, who advanced promptly and shook it with great tenderness.He then shook hands with Fred, who expressed his regard for him in warmterms; also with Mr Tippet, who paid him some enthusiastic compliments,and said something to the effect that the parent stem from which twosuch branches as he and Willie had grown must be a prime plant.

  As he turned from Mr Tippet--who, being very short, appeared to belooking up at a steeple while he delivered this opinion--Frank's eyesencountered those of Emma Ward, who was gazing at him in suchundisguised admiration, that, being a somewhat bashful man, he felt alittle confused, and dropped his eyes, figuratively, on the floor. Emmablushed scarlet with shame at being caught in this way, and thereafterbecame rigidly grave and indifferent.

  When Frank again raised his eyes--which, by the way, he didimmediately--they encou
ntered the eagle glance of Miss Deemas frowningdefiance on him, as being a sort of type or pattern specimen of hishighly objectionable race. Had Miss Deemas been a man (which would havegratified her more than she could have expressed) Frank could have metthe frown with a smile of pity. As it was, he turned to the littleeager countenance of Miss Tippet, and felt deeper respect than ever forthe sex; thus showing that just as an exception proves a rule, so anunfavourable contrast strengthens a cause.

  "Pray sit down, Mr Willders," entreated Miss Tippet earnestly; "Ishould like _so_ much to hear how you did it from your own lips, and howyou can possibly venture up such dreadful things, just like going up theoutside of the Monument. Dear Loo, and you came down it, too; but, tobe sure, your eyes were shut, which was as well, for you were only inyour night--Ah, well, yes, _do_ sit down Mr Firem---Willders, I mean."

  Frank thanked her, but declined, on the ground that he was on duty, andthat he feared he was doing wrong in even looking in on them for the fewminutes he had stayed. "Good-night, ma'am," he continued, "good-night.You'll call at the station on your way home, Willie?"

  Willie said he would, and then all the company, excepting the Eagle,shook hands with the stalwart fireman, looking up at him as if he were ahero just returned from the proverbial "hundred fights." Even Emma Wardcondescended to shake hands with him at parting.

  "Perhaps you'll be in the middle of a fire this very night," cried TomTippet, following him to the door.

  "It is quite possible," said Frank, with a smile.

  Miss Deemas was heard to snort contemptuously at this.

  "Perhaps you may even save more lives!" cried Miss Tippet.

  "It may be so," answered Frank, again smiling, but evidently feelinganxious to make his escape, for he was not one of those men who like tobe lionised.

  "Only think!" exclaimed Miss Tippet as Frank quitted the room.

  "Ha!" ejaculated the Eagle, in a tone which was meant to convey herwell-known opinion that women would do such things quite as well as menif their muscles were a little stronger.

  It is but justice to Miss Deemas to explain that she did not championand exalt women out of love to her sex. Love was not one of her strongpoints. Rampant indignation against those whom she bitterly termed"lords of creation" was her strong tower of refuge, in which shehabitually dwelt, and from the giddy summit of which she hurled would-bedestruction on the doomed males below. Among her various missiles shecounted the "wrongs of her sex" the most telling shaft, and was inconsequence always busy sharpening and polishing and flourishing thisdread weapon in the eyes of her friends as well as her enemies,although, of course, she only launched it at the latter.

  Perched on her self-exalted eyrie, Miss Deemas did not know that therewas a pretty large number of her own sex in the comparatively humblemultitude below, who, while they clearly recognised the "wrongs ofwomen" (and preferred to call them "misfortunes") did not attribute themsolely, or even largely, to the wickedness of men, but to the combinedwickedness and folly of society in general, and who were of opinion thatsuch matters were to be put right by patient, persevering, laborious,and persistent efforts on the part of men and women acting in concert,and not by the unwomanly acts and declamation of ladies of the Deemasstamp, whom they counted the worst enemies of the good cause--somewittingly, others unwittingly so. These people among the comparativelyhumble multitude below, also had the penetration to perceive that theso-called "wrongs" did not lie all on one side, but that there was apretty large class of the so-called "lords" who went about the worldhabitually in a sad and disgraceful state of moral semi-nakedness, inconsequence of their trousers having been appropriated and put on bytheir better-halves, and that therefore it was only meet that men andwomen should be united (as indeed they were from the first intended tobe) in their efforts to put each other's "wrongs" to "rights."

  In addition to all this, these weak-minded (shall we call them?) people,moving in the comparatively humble multitude below, entertained thebelief that rising in antagonism to the male sex in this matter was notonly unnecessary and unjust and impolitic, but also ungenerous, for theyreflected with much calm satisfaction that the "lords" are, after all,"under woman's control."

  But Miss Deemas and all the ladies of the Eagle stamp did not think so.They did not believe that a strong mind means a mind strong enough toexercise its own powers to the ascertainment and reception of truth andthe rejection of falsehood and fallacy; strong enough, under theinfluence of God's love, to perceive the paths of duty in all theirramifications, and to resolve to follow them. They did not believe thata high spirit, in the true sense of the word, meant a spirit broken downaltogether and brought into subjection to its owner's, not another's,will. By no means. A strong mind with the Deemas-eagles meantunutterable and unalterable obstinacy, blind as a bat, with the greatguns blazing all round, and the colours nailed to the mast. High spiritwith them meant the inclination--ever present, always strong, and oftenasserted--to seize all the rest of the world, male and female, and leadit by the nose!

  The Deemas-eagles as a class receive ready-made opinions, fabricated bysomeone else, and call them their own--receiving them originally andholding them subsequently, not because they are true, but because theyare pleasant to their eyes and sweet to their taste. They hold themstoutly, too, probably because, having no foundation, they would be aptto fall and get broken if not upheld.

  Having said thus much in behalf of the Deemas eagles, we now dismissthem, with an apology to the reader.