Quick！quick！’
Ihurriedhimintothehouse。ThetreacherythatIhadeveryreasontoexpect，thetreacherythatmightdeprivemeofeveryadvantageIhadgained，wasatthatmoment，perhaps，inprocessofaccomplishment。MyimpatiencetoreachthechurchwassogreatthatIcouldnotremaininactiveinthecottagewhiletheclerklitthelanternagain。Iwalkedout，downthegardenpath，intothelane。
BeforeIhadadvancedtenpacesamanapproachedmefromthedirectionleadingtothechurch。Hespokerespectfullyaswemet。Icouldnotseehisface，butjudgingbyhisvoiceonly，hewasaperfectstrangertome。
`Ibegyourpardon，SirPercival——’hebegan，Istoppedhimbeforehecouldsaymore。
`Thedarknessmisleadsyou，’Isaid。`IamnotSirPercival。’
Themandrewbackdirectly。
`Ithoughtitwasmymaster，’hemuttered，inaconfused，doubtfulway。
`Youexpectedtomeetyourmasterhere？’
`Iwastoldtowaitinthelane。’
Withthatanswerheretracedhissteps。Ilookedbackatthecottageandsawtheclerkcomingout，withthelanternlightedoncemore。Itooktheoldman’sarmtohelphimonthemorequickly。Wehastenedalongthelane，andpassedthepersonwhohadaccostedme。AswellasIcouldseebythelightofthelantern，hewasaservantoutoflivery。
`Who’sthat？’whisperedtheclerk。`Doesheknowanythingaboutthekeys？’
`Wewon’twaittoaskhim，’Ireplied。`Wewillgoontothevestryfirst。’
Thechurchwasnotvisible，evenbydaytime，untiltheendofthelanewasreached。Aswemountedtherisinggroundwhichledtothebuildingfromthatpoint，oneofthevillagechildren——aboy——camecloseuptous，attractedbythelightwecarried，andrecognisedtheclerk。
`Isay，measter，’saidtheboy，pullingofficiouslyattheclerk’scoat，`therebesummunupyanderinthechurch。Iheerdunlockthedooronhisself——Iheerdunstrikealoightwi’amatch。’
Theclerktrembledandleanedagainstmeheavily。
`Come！come！’Isaidencouragingly。`Wearenottoolate。Wewillcatchtheman，whoeverheis。Keepthelantern，andfollowmeasfastasyoucan。’
Imountedthehillrapidly。Thedarkmassofthechurch-towerwasthefirstobjectIdiscerneddimlyagainstthenightsky。AsIturnedasidetogetroundtothevestry，Iheardheavyfootstepsclosetome。Theservanthadascendedtothechurchafterus。`Idon’tmeananyharm，’hesaid，whenIturnedroundonhim，`I’monlylookingformymaster。’Thetonesinwhichhespokebetrayedunmistakablefear。Itooknonoticeofhimandwenton。
TheinstantIturnedthecornerandcameinviewofthevestry，Isawthelantern-skylightontheroofbrilliantlylitupfromwithin。Itshoneoutwithdazzlingbrightnessagainstthemurky，starlesssky。
Ihurriedthroughthechurchyardtothedoor。
AsIgotneartherewasastrangesmellstealingoutonthedampnightair。Iheardasnappingnoiseinside——Isawthelightabovegrowbrighterandbrighter——apaneoftheglasscracked——Irantothedoorandputmyhandonit。Thevestrywasonfire！
BeforeIcouldmove，beforeIcoulddrawmybreathafterthatdiscovery，Iwashorror-struckbyaheavythumpagainstthedoorfromtheinside。
Iheardthekeyworkedviolentlyinthelock——Iheardaman’svoicebehindthedoor，raisedtoadreadfulshrillness，screamingforhelp。
Theservantwhohadfollowedmestaggeredbackshuddering，anddroppedtohisknees。`Oh，myGod！’hesaid，`it’sSirPercival！’
Asthewordspassedhislipstheclerkjoinedus，andatthesamemomenttherewasanotherandalastgratingturnofthekeyinthelock。
`TheLordhavemercyonhissoul！’saidtheoldman。`Heisdoomedanddead。Hehashamperedthelock。’22
Irushedtothedoor。Theoneabsorbingpurposethathadfilledallmythoughts，thathadcontrolledallmyactions，forweeksandweekspast，vanishedinaninstantfrommymind。Allremembranceoftheheartlessinjurytheman’scrimeshadinflicted——ofthelove，theinnocence，thehappinesshehadpitilesslylaidwaste——oftheoathIhadsworninmyownhearttosummonhimtotheterriblereckoningthathedeserved——passedfrommymemorylikeadream。Irememberednothingbutthehorrorofhissituation。
Ifeltnothingbutthenaturalhumanimpulsetosavehimfromafrightfuldeath。
`Trytheotherdoor！’Ishouted。`Trythedoorintothechurch！Thelock’shampered。You’readeadmanifyouwasteanothermomentonit。’
Therehadbeennorenewedcryforhelpwhenthekeywasturnedforthelasttime。Therewasnosoundnowofanykind，togivetokenthathewasstillalive。Iheardnothingbutthequickeningcrackleoftheflames，andthesharpsnapoftheglassintheskylightabove。
Ilookedroundatmytwocompanions。Theservanthadrisentohisfeet——hehadtakenthelantern，andwasholdingitupvacantlyatthedoor。
Terrorseemedtohavestruckhimwithdownrightidiocy——hewaitedatmyheels，hefollowedmeaboutwhenImovedlikeadog。Theclerksatcrouchedupononeofthetombstones，shivering，andmoaningtohimself。TheonemomentinwhichIlookedatthemwasenoughtoshowmethattheywerebothhelpless。
HardlyknowingwhatIdid，actingdesperatelyonthefirstimpulsethatoccurredtome，Iseizedtheservantandpushedhimagainstthevestrywall。`Stoop！’Isaid，`andholdbythestones。Iamgoingtoclimboveryoutotheroof——Iamgoingtobreaktheskylight，andgivehimsomeair！’
Themantrembledfromheadtofoot，butheheldfirm。Igotonhisback，withmycudgelinmymouth，seizedtheparapetwithbothhands，andwasinstantlyontheroof。Inthefrantichurryandagitationofthemoment，itneverstruckmethatImightletouttheflameinsteadoflettingintheair。Istruckattheskylight，andbatteredinthecracked，loosenedglassatablow。Thefireleapedoutlikeawildbeastfromitslair。Ifthewindhadnotchanged，inthepositionIoccupied，tosetitawayfromme，myexertionsmighthaveendedthenandthere。Icrouchedontheroofasthesmokepouredoutabovemewiththeflame。Thegleamsandflashesofthelightshowedmetheservant’sfacestaringupvacantlyunderthewall——theclerkrisentohisfeetonthetombstone，wringinghishandsindespair——andthescantypopulationofthevillage，haggardmenandterrifiedwomen，clusteredbeyondinthechurchyard——allappearinganddisappearing，intheredofthedreadfulglare，intheblackofthechokingsmoke。Andthemanbeneathmyfeet！——theman，suffocating，burning，dyingsonearusall，soutterlybeyondourreach！
Thethoughthalfmaddenedme。Iloweredmyselffromtheroof，bymyhands，anddroppedtotheground。
`Thekeyofthechurch！’Ishoutedtotheclerk。`Wemusttryitthatway——wemaysavehimyetifwecanburstopentheinnerdoor。’
`No，no，no！’criedtheoldman。`Nohope！thechurchkeyandthevestrykeyareonthesamering——bothinsidethere！Oh，sir，he’spastsaving——he’sdustandashesbythistime！’
`They’llseethefirefromthetown，’saidavoicefromamongthemenbehindme。`There’saingineinthetown。They’llsavethechurch。’
Icalledtothatman——hehadhiswitsabouthim——Icalledtohimtocomeandspeaktome。Itwouldbeaquarterofanhouratleastbeforethetownenginecouldreachus。ThehorrorofremaininginactiveallthattimewasmorethanIcouldface。IndefianceofmyownreasonIpersuadedmyselfthatthedoomedandlostwretchinthevestrymightstillbelyingsenselessonthefloor，mightnotbedeadyet。Ifwebrokeopenthedoor，mightwesavehim？Iknewthestrengthoftheheavylock——Iknewthethicknessofthenailedoak——Iknewthehopelessnessofassailingtheoneandtheotherbyordinarymeans。Butsurelytherewerebeamsstillleftinthedismantledcottagesnearthechurch？Whatifwegotone，anduseditasabattering-ramagainstthedoor？
Thethoughtleapedthroughmelikethefireleapingoutoftheshatteredskylight。Iappealedtothemanwhohadspokenfirstofthefire-engineinthetown。`Haveyougotyourpick-axeshandy？’Yes，theyhad。`Andahatchet，andasaw，andabitofrope？’Yes！yes！yes！Irandownamongthevillagers，withthelanterninmyhand。`fiveshillingsapiecetoeverymanwhohelpsme！’Theystartedintolifeatthewords。Thatravenoussecondhungerofpoverty——thehungerformoney——rousedthemintotumultandactivityinamoment。`Twoofyouformorelanterns，ifyouhavethem！
Twoofyouforthepickaxesandthetools！Therestaftermetofindthebeam！’Theycheered——withshrillstarvelingvoicestheycheered。Thewomenandthechildrenfledbackoneitherside。Werushedinabodydownthechurchyardpathtothefirstemptycottage。Notamanwasleftbehindbuttheclerk——thepooroldclerkstandingontheflattombstonesobbingandwailingoverthechurch。Theservantwasstillatmyheels——hiswhite，helpless，panic-strickenfacewascloseovermyshoulderaswepushedintothecottage。Therewereraftersfromthetorn-downfloorabove，lyinglooseontheground——buttheyweretoolight。Abeamranacrossoverourheads，butnotoutofreachofourarmsandourpickaxes——abeamfastateachendintheruinedwall，withceilingandflooringallrippedaway，andagreatgapintheroofabove，opentothesky。Weattackedthebeamatbothendsatonce。God！howitheld——howthebrickandmortarofthewallresistedus！Westruck，andtugged，andtore。Thebeamgaveatoneend——itcamedownwithalumpofbrickworkafterit。Therewasascreamfromthewomenallhuddledinthedoorwaytolookatus——ashoutfromthemen——twoofthemdownbutnothurt。Anothertugalltogether——andthebeamwaslooseatbothends。Weraisedit，andgavethewordtoclearthedoorway。Nowforthework！nowfortherushatthedoor！Thereisthefirestreamingintothesky，streamingbrighterthanevertolightus！
Steadyalongthechurchyardpath——steadywiththebeamforarushatthedoor。One，two，three——andoff。Outringsthecheeringagain，irrepressibly。
Wehaveshakenitalready，thehingesmustgiveifthelockwon’t。Anotherrunwiththebeam！One，two，three——andoff。It’sloose！thestealthyfiredartsatusthroughthecreviceallaroundit。Another，andalastrush！Thedoorfallsinwithacrash。Agreathushofawe，astillnessofbreathlessexpectation，possesseseverylivingsoulofus。Welookforthebody。Thescorchingheatonourfacesdrivesusback：weseenothing——above，below，allthroughtheroom，weseenothingbutasheetoflivingfire。
