The String of Pearls (1850), p. 378

Mrs. Ragg fully believed herself shot, and rolled down the stairs, poker included; while Todd, labouring under the impression that the shot was at him, became still more anxious to find some place of refuge. Upon the landing, which he was not a moment in reaching, he found a great show of doors; for he was, in fact, upon the floor from which all the sleeping rooms of the servants opened. It was quite a chance that the first one he bounced into was one that had in the roof a little square trap-door, facetiously called "a fire escape," which, in the event of a fire, would have acquired the agility of a harlequin, and the coolness of a tax-gatherer to get through. Todd dragged a bedstead beneath the trap; and then his great height enabled him to thrust it open, and project his head through it. He found that part of his corporality was in the roof as it were—that is to say, in the cavity, between the ceiling of the room and the house. A trap-door of somewhat larger size in the actual roof, opened to the air. Todd dragged himself through, and was fairly upon the top of the colonel's house. A slippery elevation! But surely that was better than facing a red-hot poker, and a pair of hair-trigger duelling pistols; and so, for a time, the desire to escape kept down every other feeling. Even his revengeful thoughts gave way to the great principal of self-preservation; and Todd was only intent upon safely getting away. He glared round him upon the night
sky, and a gaudly assemblage of chimney tops. What was he to do? In a minute he uttered a string of such curses, as we cannot very well here set down, and he turned preternaturally calm and still.
"Shall I go back," he said, "or escape?"
He heard the tramp of horses feet, and peeping carefully over the front parapet of the house, he saw Colonel Jeffery arrive on horseback, and dismount. His groom led the horse away, and the colonel ascended the steps. Then, and not until then, Todd made up his mind.
" Escape," he said, "and be off."
There was a long sloping part of the roof close to where he was, and he thought that if he slid down that very carefully he should be able to get on to the roof of the next house, and so perchance through their trap door, and by dint of violence or cunning, or both united, reach the street.
It was a desperate resource, but his only one.
The top part of the long sloping roof was easily gained, and then Todd began to let himself down very carefully, but the angle of the roof was greater than he had imagined, and by the time he got about half way down he found a dangerous and most uncomfortable accelertion of motion ensuing
It was in vain he tried to stop himself: down he went with a speed into the gutter behind the copping-stone, that left him lying there for a few moments
half stunned, and scarcely conscious if he were safe or not.
The colonel's house, however, was stoutly built, and Todd's weight had not displaced anything; so that there he lay safe enough, wedged into a narrow rain gutter, from which, when he did recover himself sufficiently to make the attempt, he found some difficulty in wrenching himself out of.
Sore and shaken, Todd now looked about him. He was close to the roof of the next-door house. To be sure there was a chasm of sixty feet ; but its width
was not as many inches, so Todd ought, with his long legs, to easily step it.

CHAPTER LXXXIV.
A SCENE AT THE OAKLEY'S.

The step was but a trifle; and yet, shaken as Todd was by his fall, it really seemed to him to be one of the most hazardous and nervous things in the world
to take it.
He made two feints before he succeeded. At length he stood fairly upon the

378

THE STRING OF PEARLS.

mT - m ■ ■ ..mm. i i mm ■ ■■ ■■■ I mmi ■ i ™

Mrs. Ragg fully believed herself shot, and rolled down the stairs, poker in-
cluded ; while Todd, labouring under the impression that the shot was at him,
became still more anxious to find some place of refuge. Upon the landing,
which he was not a moment in reaching, he found a great show of doors ; for
he was, in fact, upon the floor from which all the sleeping rooms of the servants
opened. It was quite a chance that the first one he bounced into was one that
had in the roof a little square trap-door, facetiously called "a fire escape ;** but
which, in the event of a fire, would have acquired the agility of a harlequin, and
the coolness of a tax-gatherer to get through. Todd dragged a bedstead beneath
the trap ; and then his great height enabled him to thrust it open, and project
his head through it. He found that part of his corpora'ity was in the roof as
it were— that is to say, in the cavity, between the ceiling of the room and the
house. A trap-door of somewhat larger size in the actual roof, opened to the
air. Todd dragged himself through, and was fairly upon the top of the colonel's
house. A slippery elevation ! But surely that was better than facing a red-
hot poker, and a pair of hair-trigger duelling pistols ; and so, for a time, the
desire to escape kept down every other feeling. Even his revengeful
thoughts gave way to the great principal of self-preservation ; and Todd was
only intent upon safely getting away. He glared round him upon the night
sky, and a gaudly assemblage of chimney tops. What was he to do ? In a
minute he uttered a string of such curses, as we cannot very well here set down,
and he turned preternaturally calm and still.
" Shall I go back/' he said, u or escape V*

He heard the tramp of horses feet, and peeping carefully over the fiont
parapet of the house, he saw Colonel JefFery arrive on horseback, and dismount.
His groom led the horse away, and the colonel ascended the steps. Then, and
not until then, Todd made up his mind.
" Escape," he said, " and be off."

There was a Jong sloping part of the roof close to where he was, and he
thought that if he slid down that very carefully he should be able to get on to the
roof of the next house, and so perchance through their trap door, and by dint of
violence or cunning, or both united, reach the street.
It was a desperate resource, but his only one.

The top part of the long sloping roof was easily gained, and then Tood began
to let himself down very carefully, but the angle of the roof was greater than he
had imagined, and by the time he got about half way down he found a danger-
ous and most uncomfortable accelertion of motion ensuing.

It was in vain he tried to stop himself : down he went with a speed into the
gutter behind the copping-stone, that left him lying there for a few moments
half stunned, and scarcely conscious if he were safe or not. 4 j

The colonels house, however, was stoutly built, and Todd's weight had not
displaced anything ; so that there he lay safe enough, wedged into a narrow
rain gutter, from which, when he did recover himself sufficiently to make the
attempt, he found some difficulty in wrenching himself out of. I

Sore and shaken, Todd now looked about him. He was close to the roof of
the next-door house. To be sure there was a chasm of sixty feet ; but its width
was not as many inches, so Todd ought, with his long legs, to easily step it.

CHAPTER LXXXIV.

A SCENE AT THE OAKLEYS.

The step was but a trifle ; and yet, shaken as Todd was by his fall, it really j
seemed to him to be one of the most hazardous and nervous things in the world
to take it.

He made two feints before he succeeded. At length he stood fairly upon the