It was a moment of dreadful fright, but the next assured them that no harm was done.
"Ethel!" cried the doctor, "Are you mad?
What were you thinking of ?" Aubrey, here recollecting himself enough to be frightened at his father's voice and manner, burst into loud cries; the doctor pressed him closer on his breast, caressed and soothed him.

Ethel stood by, pale and transfixed with horror.

Her father was more angry with her than she had ever seen him, and with reason, as she knew, as she smelled the singeing, and saw a large burnt hole in Aubrey's pinafore, while the front of his frock was scorched and brown.

Dr.May's words were not needed, "What could make you let him ?" "I didn't see--" she faltered.
"Didn't see! Didn't look, didn't think, didn't care! That's it, Ethel.
'Tis very hard one can't trust you in a room with the child any more than the baby himself.

His frock perfect tinder! He would have been burned to a cinder, if I had not come in!" Aubrey roared afresh, and Dr.May, kissing and comforting him, gathered him up in his left arm, and carried him away, looking back at the door to say, "There's no bearing it! I'll put a stop to all schools and Greek, if it is to lead to this, and make you good for nothing!" Ethel was too much terrified to know where she was, or anything, but that she had let her little brother run into fearful peril, and grievously angered her father; she was afraid to follow him, and stood still, annihilated, and in despair, till roused by his return; then, with a stifled sob, she exclaimed, "Oh, papa!" and could get no further for a gush of tears.
But the anger of the shock of terror was over, and Dr.May was sorry for her tears, though still he could not but manifest some displeasure.
"Yes, Ethel," he said, "it was a frightful thing," and he could not but shudder again.