How do the bills of mortality ran to-day?"
"I have not heard. Hark! There goes St. Paul's tolling twelve."
"And there goes a flash of fire - the first among many. Look,
look! How they spring up into the black darkness."
"They will not do it long. Look at the sky, my lord."
The earl glanced up at the midnight sky, of a dull and dingy red
color, except where black and heavy clouds were heaving like
angry billows, all dingy with smoke and streaked with bars of
fiery red.
"I see! There is a storm coming, and a heavy one! Our worthy
burghers and most worshipful Lord Mayor will see their fires
extinguished shortly, and themselves sent home with wet jackets."
"And for weeks, almost month, there has not fallen a drop of
rain," remarked Ormiston, gravely.
"A remarkable coincidence, truly. There seems to be a fatality
hanging over this devoted city."
"I wonder your lordship remains?"
The earl shrugged his shoulders significantly.
"It is not so easy leaving it as you think, Mr. Ormiston; but I
am to turn my back to it to-morrow for a brief period. You are
aware, I suppose, that the court leaves before daybreak for
Oxford.
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