Sentry Hislop would probably have caught him, but there was no
necessity. The idiot boy was in the arms of his wakeful mother, who,
thinking he was going to Rawdon's quarters, as he probably was,
intercepted him, saying: "Not back there, Monty, no, no, never again!"
So deeply had his unnatural father, with brutal threats, impressed the
lesson of incendiarism upon the lad that, all mechanically, he had
repeated the attempt of the previous night. Fortunately for Coristine's
hands, there was a garden rake at hand to draw out from under the
verandah two kitchen towels, well steeped in coal oil, the fierce flame
from which had already charred three or four planks of the floor. Two
pails of water relieved all apprehensions; but the Squire awoke Sylvanus
and ordered him to take Monty into his room, and, with his companions,
be responsible for his safe keeping. Then, turning to the lawyer, and
laying a friendly hand on his shoulder, he said: "If ye canna sleep, ye
had better come in and tak' the Captain's chair; he's awa til 's bed,
puir man." So Coristine entered the porch, and, as he did so, heard a
voice above say: "No, Cecile, it is not your hero; it is mine again.
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