Mabella and Dorothy were safe—why was he idle?
He leaped towards the doorway, but Mabella, labouring under a deadly apprehension, a terrible fear, had seen his face and been seized by a panic.
“Not go in!” he said, and held on his way.
Then a terrible resolution came to Mabella; she had fought bravely to keep up appearances, to hide her husband’s delinquencies, now she must betray them to save him. Was she, for paltry pride, to risk letting him enter the burning house in that condition? A thousand times no! He was too dear to her. She caught hold if young Shinar, the strongest man in Dole.
“Oh, Tom!” she cried, “hold Lanty—don’t let him go in. _He is not himself._”
Her voice, shrill with fear and agony, rose above the duller sounds, and pierced every ear there.
Lanty gave an inarticulate sound of grief and wrath and self-reproach. The next moment he felt Shinar’s hand upon his shoulder, heard a persuasive if rough voice in his ear, but what it said he did not know, for a wild, blind rage possessed him, and he flung off the hand with a curse. But Shinar would not let him go.
Lanty struck viciously, and the other man called between his teeth:
Ab Ranger came, but it took another yet to hold Lanty, who, perfectly sober, was at length mastered by sheer weight and held helpless, whilst his neighbours strove to rescue what of his goods they could. And then for a little time hot-headed Lanty, moved beyond himself, raved and cursed, and gave colour to any supposition his neighbours cared to adopt regarding his condition. Mabella approached him fearfully, yet her heart was high with the courage which had enabled her to keep him from harm’s way. But Lanty with an oath bade her begone. Horrified, she fled to where Mrs. Simpson held Dorothy, and clasping her child in her arms fell upon her knees, crying, from which position she was raised by Sidney’s gentle touch. He was white-faced and terribly excited.
“Have you seen Vashti?” he asked Mabella when he had drawn her to her feet.
“Here I am,” said Vashti in even tones, from near where they stood. “I have been here some little time, but Mabella has been too busy to see me.”
Then she turned away and went over to where the men still held Lanty.