VERY HARD CASH.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND."

CHAPTER XLVII.

A REPORT came round that the asylum was
open in the rear. A rush was made thither from
the front; and this thinned the crowd
considerably; so then Mrs. Dodd was got out by
the help of some humane persons, and carried
into the nearest house, more dead than alive.
There she found Mrs. Archbold in a pitiable state.
That lady had been looking on the fire, with the
key in her pocket, by taking which she was like
to be a murderess: her terror and remorse were
distracting, and the revulsion had thrown her
into violent hysterics. Mrs. Dodd plucked up
a little strength, and characteristically enough
tottered to her assistance, and called for the
best remedies, and then took her hand and
pressed it, and whispered soothingly that both
were now safe, meaning David and Edward.
Mrs. Archbold thought she meant Alfred and
David: this new shock was as good for her as
cold water: she became quieter, and presently
gulped out, "You saw them? you knew them
(ump) all that way off?"

"Knew them?" said Mrs. Dodd; "why one
was my husband, and the other my son." Mrs.
Archbold gave a sigh of relief. "Yes, madam,"
continued Mrs. Dodd, "the young fireman, who
went and saved my husband, was my own son,
my Edward; my hero; oh, I am a happy wife, a
proud mother;" she could say no more for tears
of joy, and while she wept deliciously, Mrs.
Archbold cried too, and so invigorated and
refreshed her cunning, and presently she perked
up and told Mrs. Dodd boldly that Edward had
been seeking her, and was gone home: she had
better follow him, or he would be anxious. "But
my poor husband!" objected Mrs. Dodd.

"He is safe," said the other; "I saw him
(ump) with an attendant."

"Ah," said Mrs. Dodd, with meaning, "that
other my son rescued was an attendant, was
he?"

"Yes." (Ump.)

She then promised to take David under her
especial care, and Mrs. Dodd consented, though
reluctantly, to go home.

To her surprise Edward had not yet arrived,
and Julia was sitting up, very anxious; and flew
at her with a gurgle, and kissed her eagerly, and
then, drawing back her head, searched the
maternal eyes for what was the matter. "Ah,
you may well look," said Mrs. Dodd. "Oh my
child! what a night this has been;" and she
sank into a chair, and held up her arms; Julia
settled down in them directly, and in that position
Mrs. Dodd told all the night's work, told it
under a running accompaniment of sighs and
kisses, and ejaculations, and "dear mammas," and
"poor mammas," and bursts of sympathy,
astonishment, pity, and wonder. Thus embellished and
interrupted, the strange tale was hardly ended,
when a manly step came up the stairs, and both
ladies pinched each other and were still as mice,
and in walked a fireman with a wet livery, and a
face smirched with smoke. Julia flew at him
with a gurgle of the first degree, and threw her
arms round his neck, and kissed both his blackened
cheeks again and again, crying "Oh my own,
my precious, my sweet, brave, darling, kiss me,
kiss me, kiss me, you are a hero, a Christian hero,
that saves life, not takes it——" Mrs. Dodd
checked her impetuous career by asking piteously
if his mother was not to have him. On this,
Julia drew him along by the hand, and sank with
him at Mrs. Dodd's knees, and she held him at
arms' length and gazed at him, and then drew
him close and enfolded him, and thanked God for
him; and then they both embraced him at once,
and interwove him Heaven knows how, and
poured the wealth of their womanly hearts out
on him in a torrent and nearly made him snivel.
But presently something in his face struck Mrs.
Dodd, accustomed to read her children. "Is
there anything the matter, love," she inquired,
anxiously. He looked down and said, "I am
dead sleepy, mamma, for one thing."

"Of course he is, poor child," said Julia, doing
the sub-maternal: "wait till I see everything is
comfortable," and she flew off, turned suddenly
at the door with "Oh, you darling!" and up
to his bedroom, and put more coals on his fire,
and took a housewifely look all round.

Mrs. Dodd seized the opportunity. "Edward,
there is something amiss."

"And no mistake," said he drily. "But I
thought if I told you before her you might scold
me."

"Scold you, love? Never. Hush! I'll come
to your room by-and-by."

Soon after this they all bade each other good