The Sign of the Red Cross: A Tale of Old London Read online

  CHAPTER XVIII. WHAT BEFELL DINAH.

  Dinah Morse and her niece Janet were faring sumptuously in LordDesborough's house, hard by St. Paul's Churchyard. His young wifelay sick of a grievous fever, and he was well nigh distracted bythe fear of losing her.

  Nothing was too good for her, or for the gentle-faced, soft-voicednurses who had come to tend her in her hour of need. The best ofeverything was at their disposal; and it was no great source ofregret to them that several of the hired servants had fled beforetheir arrival, a whisper having gone through the house that herladyship had taken the plague.

  Dinah and Janet had seen too much of the plague to be deceived by afew trifling similarities in some of the symptoms. They were ableto assure the distracted husband that it was not the dreadeddistemper, and then they settled to the task of nursing like thosehabituated to it; and so different were they in their ways from thewomen he had seen before in the office of sick nurse, many of whomwere creatures of no good reputation, and of evil habits and life,that his mind was almost relieved of its fears and anxiety, and hebegan to entertain joyful hopes of the recovery of his spouse.

  Upon the Sunday morning which had passed so strangely andeventfully for those in the east of the city, there was nothing todisturb the tranquillity of patient or of nurses. It had been a hotnight, and Janet, when she relieved Dinah towards morning, said shehad seen a red light in the sky towards the east, and feared therehad been a bad fire. But neither of them thought much of this; andwhen the bell of St. Paul's rang for morning service, Dinah badeJanet put on her hood and go, for Lady Desborough was sleepingquietly, and would only need quiet watching for the next few hours.

  When Janet entered the great building she was aware that a certainexcitement and commotion seemed to prevail in some of the groupsgathered together in Paul's Walk, as the long nave of the oldbuilding was called. Paul's Walk was a place of no very goodrepute, and any modest girl was wont to hurry through it with herhood drawn and her eyes bent upon the ground. Disgraceful as suchdesecration must be accounted, there can be no doubt that Paul'swalk was a regular lounge for the dissipated and licentious younggallants of the day, a place where barter and traffic wereshamelessly carried on, and where all sorts of evil practicesprevailed.

  The sacredness of a building solemnly consecrated to God by theirpious forefathers seemed to mean nothing to the reckless roisterersof that shameless age. The Puritans during the late civil war hadset the example of desecrating churches, by using them as stablesand hospitals, and for other secular purposes. It was a naturaloutcome of such practices that the succeeding generation should goa step further and do infinitely worse. If God-fearing men did notscruple to desecrate consecrated churches, was it likely that theirgodless successors would have greater misgivings?

  Janet therefore hurried along without seeking to know what men weretalking of, and during the time that the service went on she almostforgot the impression she had taken in on her first entrance.

  As she came out she joined the old door porter of Lord Desborough'shouse, and was glad to walk with him through the crowded nave andinto the bright, sunny air without.

  Although the sun was shining, she was aware of a certain murkinessin the air, but did not specially heed it until some loudly-spokenwords fell upon her ears.

  "But forty hours, and this whole city shall be consumed by fire!"shouted a strange-looking man, who, in very scanty attire, wasstationed upon the top of the steps, and was declaiming andgesticulating as he addressed a rather frightened-looking crowdbeneath him. "Within forty hours there shall not be left standingone stone upon another in all this mighty edifice. The hand of theLord is stretched forth against this evil city, and judgment shallbegin at His sanctuary. Beware, and bewail, and repent in dust andashes, for the Lord will do a thing this day which will cause theears of every one who hears it to tingle. He is coming! He iscoming! He is coming in clouds and majesty in a flaming fire, evenas He appeared on the mount of Sinai! Be ready to meet Him. Hecomes to smite and not to spare! His chariots of fire are over usalready. They travel apace upon the wings of the wind. I see them!I hear them! They come! they come! they come!"

  The fanatic waved his hands in the air with frantic gestures, andpointed eastward. Certainly there did appear to be a strangemurkiness and haze in the air; and was there not a smell as ofburning? or was it but the idea suggested by the man's words? Janettrembled as she slipped her arm within that of the old porter.

  "What does he mean?" she asked nervously. "The people seem veryattentive to hear. They look affrighted, and some of them seem totremble. What does it all mean?"

  "I scarce know myself. I heard men speak of a terrible fire rightaway in the east that has been burning many hours now. But surethey cannot fear that it will come nigh to St. Paul's. That weremadness indeed! Why, each dry summer, as it comes, brings us plentyof bad fires. The fellow is but one of those mad fools who love toscare honest folks out of their senses. Heed him not, mistress.Belike he knows no more than thou and I. It is his trade to set mentrembling. Let us go home; there is no danger for us."

  Rather consoled by these words, and certainly without any realapprehensions for their personal safety, Janet returned to thehouse, where she and Dinah passed a quiet day. Neither of them wentout again; and though they spoke sometimes of the fire, andwondered if it had been extinguished, they did not suffer any realanxiety of mind.

  "I trust it went not nigh to our homes," said Janet once or twice."I would that one of the boys might come and give us news of them.But if folks are in trouble over yonder, father is certain to havehis hands full. He will never stand by idle whilst other folks aresuffering danger and loss."

  "He is a good man," answered Dinah, and with her these words stoodfor much.

  Towards nightfall Lord Desborough came in with rather an anxiouslook upon his face. His eyes first sought the face of his wife; butseeing her lie in the tranquil sleep which was her best medicine,he was satisfied of her well being, and without putting his usualstring of questions he began abruptly to ask of Dinah:

  "Have you heard news of this terrible fire?"

  Both nurses looked earnestly at him.

  "Is it not yet extinguished, my lord?"

  "Extinguished? no, nor likely to be, if all we hear be true. I havenot seen it with mine own eyes. I was at Whitehall all the day, andheard no more than that some houses and churches in the east hadbeen burned. But they say now that the flames are spreading thisway with all the violence of a tempest at sea, and those who havebeen to see say that it is like a great sea of fire, rushing overeverything so that nothing can hinder it. The Lord Mayor and hisaldermen have been down since the morning, striving to do what theycan; but, so far as report says, the flames are yet unchecked. Itseems impossible that they should ever reach even to us here; but Iam somewhat full of fear. What would befall my poor young wife ifthe fire were to threaten this house?"

  Dinah looked grave and anxious. Lady Desborough's condition wascritical, and she could only be moved at considerable risk. But itseemed impossible that the fire could travel all this distance.Only the troubled look on the husband's face would have convincedher that such a thing could be contemplated for a moment even bythe faintest-hearted.

  "You would not have us move her now, ere the danger approaches?"asked the husband anxiously.

  "No, my lord. To move her tonight would be, I think, certaindeath," answered Dinah gravely. "She has but passed the crisis of avery serious fever, and is weak as a newborn babe. We will striveall we can to get up her strength, that she may be able for whatmay come. But I trust and hope the fire will be extinguished longere it reaches us. Oh, surely never was there fire that burned fordays and destroyed whole streets and parishes!"

  "And oh, my lord, can you tell us if the bridge is safe?" askedJanet clasping her hands together in an agony of uncertainty andfear. "Have you heard news of the bridge? Oh, say it is not burned!They all talk of the east, but what does that mean? Who can tell meif my father's house has escaped?" />
  Lord Desborough was a very kindly man, and the distress of the girltouched him.

  "I will go forth and ask news of all who have been thither to see,"he answered. "Many have gone both by land and water to see thegreat sight. I would go likewise, save that I fear to leave mywife. But, at least, I will seek all the news I can get, and comeagain to you."

  The master of the house went forth, and the two anxious watchers,after a long look at their patient to satisfy themselves that shewas sleeping peacefully, and not likely to wake suddenly, creptsilently into an adjoining room, where a large window lookingeastward enabled them to see in the sky that strange and terribleglow, which was so bright and fierce as darkness fell that theywere appalled in beholding it spreading and brightening in the sky.

  "Good lack, what a terrible fire it must be!" cried Janet, wringingher hands together. "O good aunt, what can resist the oncoming furyof such a fearful conflagration? Would that I knew my father'shouse was safe. But, at least, those within must have had warning,and they could with ease escape by water if even the streets werein flames. Alack, this poor city! It does indeed seem as though thevials of God's wrath were being poured out upon it! Will His handbe stayed till all is destroyed? Surely the hearts of men must turnback to Him in these days of dire calamity!"

  Dinah gravely shook her head, her face lighted up by theever-increasing light in the eastern sky, which grew brighter andbrighter with the gathering shades of night.

  "Methought in those terrible days of the plague that surely men'shearts would, for the future, be set upon higher things, seeing howthey had learned by fearful experience that man's life is but avapour that the wind carrieth away. But as soon as the pressingperil abated, they hardened their hearts, and turned hack to theirevil ways. It may be that even this warning will be lost upon them.God alone knows how many will see His hand in this great judgment,and will turn to Him in fear if not in love!"

  Before many minutes had passed affrighted servants began peepingand then crowding into the room, as though they felt more assurancein presence of Dinah's quiet steadfastness and courage. The facesof the maids were pale with apprehension. It was difficult tobelieve, in the midst of this ruddy glare which actually palpitatedas the lights and shadows danced upon the wall, that the fire wasyet as distant as was reported. All the menservants had run outinto the streets after news of the progress of the fire, and thewomen were scared by their absence. Dinah did what she could tocalm them, pointing out that since they could as yet neither hearnor feel anything of so great a fire, it must still be a great wayoff. It was hardly possible to believe that it would be permittedto sweep onwards much longer unchecked. By this time men's mindsmust be fully alive to the great peril in which all London stood,and she doubted not that some wise measures would soon be taken tostay the spread of the flames. She advised the maidens to go to bedand not think any more about it. Let them commend themselves to Godand seek to sleep. She would undertake to watch, and to rouse themup should there be any need during the night.

  Somewhat appeased and comforted by these words, the maids withdrewand sought their needed rest. But Janet and Dinah returned to thesickroom, resolved to keep vigil there, and only to sleep by turnsupon the couch, ready dressed in case of emergency.

  It was nigh upon midnight before Lord Desborough returned, and hewas so blackened and begrimed that they scarcely knew him.

  His wife was still sleeping the sleep of exhausted nature, and,after one glance at her, the young nobleman turned towards Janet,who was quivering all over in her anxiety to hear the news.

  "Well, maiden, thy father's house is safe, and half the bridge issafe; and the thanks of that are due to him and to a worthyneighbour, who by their wise exertions stayed the fire, which mightelse have spread even to the other side of the river."

  Janet and Dinah exchanged looks of unspeakable relief, and LordDesborough continued in the same cautious undertone:

  "Once out of doors, the fire fever quickly got its hold on me, evenas it has gotten hold upon almost every person in the city. I hadnot meant to go far but I took a wherry, and, the tide servingwell, I was swiftly borne along towards the bridge, and from theriver I saw the raging of such a fire as, methinks, the world hasnever seen before. No words of mine can paint the awful grandeur ofthe sight I saw. It was as light as day upon the water, and therewere times when the river itself seemed ablaze. For, as the flameswrought havoc amongst the warehouses and stores along the wharfs,burning masses of oil and tar would pour out upon the bosom of thewater, blazing terribly, and the boatmen had to keep a sharp watchsometimes lest they and their craft should be engulfed in the fierystream. To the ignorant, who knew not what caused the water to wearthis aspect of burning, it appeared as though even the river hadignited. This increased their terrors tenfold, and they say thatsome poor distraught creatures actually flung themselves into thefire or the water, convinced that the end of the world had come,and careless as to whether they perished soon or late."

  "But my father--my father!" cried Janet earnestly.

  "Ah, true, thy father. I heard of him from the watermen in thewherries, who told me the tale of how he had saved the bridge bypulling down his workshops and drenching the ruins with water. Itseemeth to me that unless some prompt and resolute course of asimilar kind is taken tomorrow or tonight, infinite loss mustensue. No ordinary means can now check this great fire. But surelythe Lord Mayor and his advisers will have by now a plan on foot.Were I not so weary, and anxious about my wife, I would go forthonce more to see what was doing. But I must wait now for themorrow, and then, pray Heaven all danger may be at an end. Fearnot, good friends, if you hear terrible sounds as of an earthquakeshaking the house this night. Men say that if the city is to besaved it must be by the blowing up of whole streets of small housessomewhere in the path of the flames, so that they shall havenothing whereon to feed. Others say that nothing will stop them,and that none will be found ready to make sacrifice of theirdwellings for the public good, preferring to risk the chance of theflames reaching them. I know not the truth of all the rumoursflying about; but the thing might be, and might be wisely done. Sofear not if you should hear some sounds that will make you think ofan earthquake. And call me if aught alarms you, or if my wifeshould change either for the better or the worse."

  So saying, Lord Desborough took himself off to his well-earnedrepose; and the two nurses passed the night, sometimes waking andsometimes sleeping, but not disturbed by any strange sounds ofexplosion, and hopeful, as the night passed without special event,that the fire had been extinguished.

  But morning brought appalling accounts of its spread. Nothing hadbeen done, it seemed, to stay its course. It had reached Cheapside,and was rushing a headlong course down it, and even the Guildhall,men said, would not escape. North and west the great, rolling bodyof the flames was spreading; churches were going down before it,one after the other, as helplessly as the timber and plasterhouses, which burned like so much tinder. Hour after hour as thatday passed by fresh and terrible items of news were brought in.Would anything ever stop the oncoming sea of fire? Surely--surelysomething would be done to save St. Paul's. Surely that magnificentand time-honoured structure would not be permitted to perishwithout some attempt to save it!

  Dinah went out at midday for a mouthful of air, leaving Janet incharge of the sick lady. She turned her steps towards the greatedifice towering up in all its grandeur towards the sunny sky. Itwas hard indeed to believe that it could succumb to the devouringelement, so solid and unconsumable it looked. Yet, although all menwere asserting vehemently that "Paul's could never burn," all faceswere looking anxious, and all ears were eagerly attuned to catchany new item of news which a messenger or passerby might bring.

  The murkiness in the air, faintly discernible even yesterday, hadbecome very marked by this time. The smell of fire was in the air,although as yet the terrible roaring of the flames, of which allmen who had been near it were speaking, had not yet become audiblein the Babel of talk going on in the streets and
about the greatchurch. The dean and canons were grouped about the precincts,looking anxiously into each other's faces, as though to seek toread encouragement from one another. Nothing was talked of but thefire, the incapacity shown by the civic authorities in dealing withit, and lamentations that good Sir John Lawrence, who had coped soably with the pestilence last year, should be no longer in officeat this second great crisis.

  Still it was averred on all hands that something was about to bedone; that it was too scandalous to stand by panic stricken whilstthe whole city perished. Every one seemed to have heard talkrespecting the demolition or blowing up of houses in the path ofthe flames; but none could say actually that it had been done, orwas about to be done, in any given locality.

  Burned out households were pouring continually along the chokedthoroughfares, striving to find safe places where they might bestowsuch goods as they had succeeded in saving. Charitable persons wereoccupied in housing and feeding those who had nothing of their own;whilst others, whose fears were on a larger scale, were fleeingaltogether away from the city to friends in the country beyond,desiring only to escape the coming judgment, which seemed like thatpoured out on Sodom.

  Dinah went back with a very grave face to her charge. The poor ladyhad now recovered her senses, and though as weak as a newborn babe,was able to smile from time to time upon her husband, who satbeside her holding her hand between his. He was so overjoyed atthis happy change in his wife's condition that he had no thought tospare at this moment for the peril of the city. He asked for nonews as Dinah appeared; and indeed it was very necessary that thepatient should not be in any wise alarmed or excited.

  Dinah, however, was becoming very uneasy as time went on; and shewas certain that the air grew darker than could be accounted for bythe falling dusk, and upon going to the east window as the twilightfell, she was appalled by the awful glare in the sky, and wascertain that now, indeed, she did begin to distinguish the roaringof the flames as the wind drifted them ever onwards and onwards.

  Had it not been for the exceedingly critical state in which thepatient lay, she would have suggested her removal before thingsgrew worse. As it was, it might be death to move her; and perhapsthe flames would be stayed ere they reached the noble cathedralpile. Surely every effort would be made for that end. It wasdifficult to imagine that the citizens would not combine togetherin some great and mighty effort to save their homes and theirsanctuary before it should be too late.

  "What an awful sight!" exclaimed a soft voice behind her. "Heavengrant the peril be not so nigh as it looks!"

  It was Lord Desborough, who had come in and was looking withanxious eyes at the flaming sky, over which great clouds of sparksand flaming splinters could be seen drifting. It might only befancy, but the room seemed to be growing hot with the breath of thefire. The young nobleman's face was very grave and disturbed.

  "What must we do?" he asked of Dinah. "Can she be moved? Ought weto take her elsewhere?"

  "I would we could," answered Dinah, "but she is so weak that it maybe death to carry her hence, and if we spoke to her of thisterrible thing that is happening, the shock might bring back thefever, and then, indeed, all would be lost."

  The husband wrung his hands together in the utmost anxiety. Dinahstood thinking deeply.

  "My lord," she presently said, "it may come to this, that she willhave to be moved, risk or no risk. Should we not think aboutwhither to take her if it be needful?"

  "Ay, verily; but where may that be? Who can know what place issafe? And to transport her far would be certain death. She woulddie on the road thither."

  "That is very true, my lord," answered Dinah; "but it has come intomy mind that, perchance, my sister's house could receive her--thathouse upon the bridge, which is now safe, and which can be in nodanger again, since all the city about it lies in ashes. By boat wecould transport her most gently of all; and tonight, upon therising tide, it might well be done, if the need should become morepressing."

  "A good thought! a happy thought indeed!" cried Lord Desborough."But art thou sure that thy good kinsmen will have room withintheir walls? They may have befriended so many."

  "That is like enow," answered Dinah; "I have thought of thatmyself. My lord, methinks it would be a good plan for you to takeboat now, at once, taking the maid Janet with you as a guide andspokeswoman. She will take you to her father's house and explainall; and then her father and brothers will come back with you, ifneed presses more sorely, and help us to transport thither the poorlady. I will sit by her the while, and by plying her with cordialsand such food as she can swallow, strive to feed her feeblestrength; and if the flames seem coming nearer and nearer, I willmake shift to dress her in such warm and easy garments as are bestsuited to the journey she may have to take. And I will trust to youto be back to save us ere the danger be over great."

  "That I will! that I will!" cried the eager husband. "The plan isan excellent one! I will lose not a moment in acting upon it. Ilike not the look of yon sky. I fear me there will be no stayingthe raging of the flames. I will lose not a minute. Bid the girl beready, and we will forth at once. We will take boat at Baynard'sCastle, and be back again ere two hours have passed!"

  Janet was delighted with the plan. She was restless and nervoushere, and anxiously eager to know what had befallen her own people.She would gladly have had Dinah to go also, but saw that the sicklady could not be left, and that it would not be right to move hersave on urgent necessity; but to go and get a band of eager helpersto come to the rescue if need be satisfied her entirely, and shesaid a joyful farewell to her aunt, promising to send help rightspeedily.

  Left alone with her patient, Dinah commenced her task of feedingthe lamp of life, and seeking by every means in her power toprepare the patient for the possible transit. Once she was calledfrom the room by some commotion without, and found the frightenedservants all huddled together outside the door, uncertain whetherto fly the place altogether or to wait till some one came withdefinite news as to the magnitude of the peril. The light in thesky was terrible. The showers of sparks were falling all round thehouses and the cathedral. The roar of the approaching fire began tobe clearly distinguished above every other sound.

  Dinah, who knew that tumult and affright were the worst thingspossible for her patient, counselled the cowering maids to makegood their escape at once, since there was nothing to be done inthe house that night, and they were far too frightened to sleep.All had friends who would give them shelter. And soon the house wassilent and empty, for the men had gone off either to the fire orout of sheer fright, and Dinah was left quite alone with herpatient.

  "What is that noise I hear all the time?" asked Lady Desboroughpresently, in a feeble voice. "I feel as though there was somethingburning in the room. The air seems thick and heavy. Is it myfantasy, or do I smell burning? Where is my husband? Is theresomething the matter going on?"

  "There is a bad fire not very far from here, my lady," answeredDinah quietly. "My lord has gone to see if it be like to spread,that he may take such steps as are needful. Be not anxious; we aresafe beneath his care. He will let no hurt come nigh us before heis back to tell us what we shall do."

  A tranquil smile lighted the lady's face at these words. She was inthat state of weakness when the mind is not easily ruffled, andDinah's calm face and steady voice were very tranquillizing.

  "Ah yes, my good lord will not let hurt come nigh us. We will awaithis good pleasure. I trust no poor creatures are in peril? Therewill be many to help them I trow?"

  "Yes, my lady. I have not heard of lives lost; and many say that itis good for some of the old houses to burn, that they may buildbetter ones little by little. Now take this cordial, and sleep oncemore. I will awaken you when my lord returns."

  The lady obeyed, and soon slept again, her pulse stronger andfirmer and her mind at rest.

  But Dinah was growing very uneasy. Far though she was above thestreet, she heard shouts and cries--muffled and distant truly, butvery apparent to her strained faculti
es--all indicative of alarmand the presence of peril. She dared not leave her post at thebedside, but the air was becoming so thick with smoke that thepatient coughed from time to time, and the nurse was not certainhow much longer it would be possible to breathe in it. She wascertain, too, that the place was becoming hot, increasingly hot,each minute.

  Oh, where was Lord Desborough? why did he not come? At last shestole from the room and into the adjoining chamber, and then indeedan awful sight met her shrinking gaze.

  A pillar of lambent flame, which seemed to her to be close at hand,was rising up in the air as though it reached the very heavens. Itswayed slowly this way and that, surrounded by clouds of crimsonsmoke and a veritable furnace of sparks. Then, as she watched withawed and fascinated gaze, it suddenly seemed to make a boundtowards the tower of St. Paul's standing up majestic and beautifulagainst the fiery sky. It fastened upon it like a living monstergreedy of prey. Tongues of flame seemed to be licking it on allsides, and a mass of fire encircled it.

  With a gasp of fear and horror Dinah turned away.

  "St. Paul's on fire!" she exclaimed beneath her breath; "God in Hismercy have pity upon us! Can any one save us now?"