Esther alone, of the whole party, retained her presence of mind; springing forward, she grasped the blazing fragment and dashed it back again into the grate.

All this passed in a few seconds, and in the end Esther was so overcome with excitement and terror, that she fainted outright.

Hearing no report, those who had fled cautiously returned, and by their united efforts she was soon restored to consciousness.
"What a narrow escape!" said she, trembling, and covering her face with her hands; "it makes me shudder to think of it." "We owe our lives to you, my brave girl," said Mr.Walters; "your presence of mind has quite put us all to the blush." "Oh! move the powder some distance off, or the same thing may happen again.

Please do move it, Mr.Walters; I shall have no peace whilst it is there." Whilst they were thus engaged, a loud commotion was heard below stairs, and with one accord all started in the direction from whence the noise proceeded.
"Bring a light! bring a light!" cried Mrs.Ellis; "something dreadful has happened." A light was soon procured, and the cause of this second alarm fully ascertained.
Master Kinch, in his anxiety to give himself as warlike an appearance as possible, had added to his accoutrements an old sword that he had discovered in an out-of-the-way corner of the garret.

Not being accustomed to weapons of this nature, he had been constantly getting it between his legs, and had already been precipitated by it down a flight of steps, to the imminent risk of his neck.