CHAPTER V
A Sunday of Excitement


Strangers in court do take her for the queen.--Shakespeare

The first Sunday of Julius Charnock's ministry was spent in an
unexpected manner. In the darkness of the autumn morning there was
a knock at the door, and a low hurried call in Anne's voice at the
bedroom door: "Rosamond! Julius, pray look out! Isn't there a
great fire somewhere?"

"Fire! Here?" cried Rosamond, springing up.

"No, not here. A great way off. You could beat it back."

Rosamond had by this time rushed to the window which looked out the
wrong way, found her dressing-gown, and scrambled into it in the
dark ere joining Anne in the gallery, from the end window of which
the lurid light in the sky, with an occasional flame leaping up, was
plainly visible. When Julius joined them he declared it to be at
Willansborough, and set off to call up the coachman and despatch the
fire-engine, his wife calling after him to send for the soldiers at
Backsworth.

Frank and Charlie came rushing down in gratified excitement,
declaring that it was tremendous--the church at least--and exulting
in the attainment of their life-long ambition, the riding out on the
fire-engine. Servants bustled about, exclaiming, tramping, or