advantage over vacancy, that it shut out the view of external objects, and opened the way to reflection.

'I soon fell into a disturbed sleep, and dreamed that the whole upper part of the house was in flames, and that my brother, in endeavoring to escape out of the front door with some valuable article about him, was seized by six or eight men, and carried away to prison, in spite of his entreaties. I dreamed also that I was standing in the door, and the whole building suddenly gave way, and was about to fall upon my head. At this I awoke in terror, but soon became sensible of my situation, when I found my brother standing over me, and shaking me by the shoulder.

'It was now about a quarter of three. Petro had prepared every thing, even to a match, to insure speedy conflagration.

''Now then,' said he, 'nerve yourself for the consummation. Take this match, and set fire to the bed-clothes, while I touch this other pile with my candle.'

'He did so, and at the same moment my trembling hands applied the torch to the light drapery of the bed. In an instant, curtains, sheets, and all, were in a blaze, while at the other end of the room the fire spread with astonishing rapidity among the dry and flimsy stuffs which had been thrown together in a heap. Seeing all things in such fine progress, we turned our steps toward the door, which was about midway of the room, when I recollected that we had left a small box of jewelry and money at the foot of the bed.

''Stop, one moment, till I get the box,' said I, and directed my steps to the bed.

''Make haste!' said my brother, as he stood with his hand on the latch.

'I threw up the clothes at the foot of the bed.

''Where is it? I cannot touch it?' I asked.

''Under the right corner, between the sack and the ——'

''It has been stolen! Who has been in here? Haven't you put it somewhere else?'

''Look under the head; it is surely there. Hurry!'

''Impossible!' The fire had become scorching hot, so that I could endure it no longer. Not only the whole bed, but the wainscot and window sashes had begun to burn. I was obliged to make my way to the door.

''It was left there, I tell you; it must be got; it is all our dependence for immediate funds. Ludovico, seek it once more!' exclaimed my brother.

''Will you have me burn myself to death! My shirt-sleeves are burnt off now. I hear some one coming.'

''It is your ears—try again!' returned Petro.

''I go—but you see!' I replied, as I turned back, holding up my arms, which were already severely scorched.

''Here, take this stick,' cried Petro, wrenching off a strip from the wall, and heaving it to me; 'that will save your hands.'

'I thrust it into every part of the bed, which was now little else than a mass of ashes, without striking the object of my search. My arms suffered severely from the hot air of the room, and the flames were almost licking my face.

''I can't endure it! I would not try any longer, for the universe!' I exclaimed.

''Must we lose the most valuable part of the goods? What shall we do?' said Petro, who now began to feel the warmth more pressingly, from which he had been before but little disturbed, there being a space in the middle of the room free from the flames.

''The house,' said I, 'will soon fall over our heads, if we don't escape; we shall be discovered; it can't be long before the fire will be observed without.'

''Well, let the cursed thing go; it is not worth our lives. Come, and let us get out, as quick as the devil will let us.'

''Ha! the door is locked!' he continued, in an alarmed voice, and working at the latch violently, with both hands. 'Run to the other door!'

'I ran and tried it; but it yielded no more than if it had been barricaded with triple bolts.

''What was done with the key?' demanded Petro, searching hastily in his pockets.

''It is on the outside. No one can have turned it since we went to bed; nobody has been in.'

''Locked!—locked! No, it cannot be!' repeated my brother: 'it is the heated air of the room. We must exert our whole strength together.'

'We did so, and without effect. We were now in a truly desperate situation, with no opportunity to escape, and the fire already enveloping us.

''Madmen! fools! why did we delay! By heavens! we must not perish here. Where are our friends!'

'At this time, the cry of 'fire!' was raised in the street, and we heard the engines rattling along the pavements. We also thought we distinguished the sound of persons ascending the stairs, and called to them, but could not make them hear, in consequence of the roaring of the flames, and the shouts of the firemen in the street.

''Down with the door! round to the rear!' we understood distinctly, and echoed back the unavailing cry, while the heavy shock of a ladder, as it struck against the wooden walls, one story above us, showed the advance of the preparations for effecting an entrance in that quarter, and for quenching the fire.

'My brother shouted for assistance, but the noise of the engines and the cry of 'fire!' without, drowned his voice.

''It is useless,' said I; 'that bellowing rabble will split their sides to out-bawl us.'

'Still more alarmed, and smarting with our burns, we now attempted to raise the window. But, as if the fates conspired against us, it refused to move!

''We shouted for help; we shrieked, till our voices were hoarse. The floor under our feet had now kindled to flame, and it was with difficulty we could prevent our clothes being entirely consumed.'

''Come, Ludovico,' said Petro, 'we can live here but a few minutes longer; let us make one more trial.'

''I can do no more; I shall die!' exclaimed I, sinking to the floor in the apathy of despair. I was suffering the most exquisite torture from my burns; and to relieve me of my insupportable agony, I attempted to hasten my death by strangulation. My brother, who was less burnt, still struggled at the door. He turned and saw me stretched out in this situation.

''Fool, fool!' he exclaimed, with angry energy; 'are you so willing to die? Up! up! and assist me!'

'I arose. The room was now filled with flame. I could not for a moment endure it. I flung myself again against the door in desperation, and sank down breathless and exhausted. It was now my brother's turn to be desperate; and for a moment, I forgot my pain in witnessing his agonies. He shrieked for aid, and cursed his hapless fate; and falling upon his knees, he invoked alternately the powers of heaven and hell, weeping and sobbing like a child.

'We once more arose, and resolved to make a final attempt to save our lives.

''Here, Ludovico,' said Petro, 'we can get out of that trap-door overhead. Why did we not think of it before?'

''There is a box on the other side,' said I, 'but I have not strength to get it.'

'Petro rushed across the room, through the blaze, and bounded back with a box which, on a less exciting occasion, he could not have moved.

''You have burnt your face Petro, terribly,' said I.

''Curse the face! What care I for a scar! It will be better for a disguise, should we be in danger of detection. Jump on to the box, and support me!'

''It is vain, Petro; I have scarcely strength to stand.'

'Nevertheless, we exerted ourselves to the utmost, but after almost superhuman efforts, we dropped again to the floor.

''We must die, Petro!' I exclaimed, in hopeless resignation; 'yet it is hard to die, while there may still be a possibility of escape.'

'But my brother's courage revived, and we made one more concentrated effort upon the door, and shook it a little. We strained harder; it seemed to yield; yet harder; it was illusion! The door was firmer than