Varney the Vampire; Or, the Feast of Blood

by Thomas Preskett Prest

  CHAPTER LIII.

  THE DESTRUCTION OF SIR FRANCIS VARNEY'S HOUSE BY FIRE.--THE ARRIVAL OFTHE MILITARY, AND A SECOND MOB.

  Thus many moments had not elapsed ere the feelings of the rioters becamedirected into a different channel from that in which it had so latelyflowed. When urged about the house and grounds for the vampyre, theybecame impatient and angry at not finding him. Many believed that he wasyet about the house, while many were of opinion that he had flown awayby some mysterious means only possessed by vampyres and such likepeople.

  "Fire the house, and burn him out," said one.

  "Fire the house!"

  "Burn the den!" now arose in shouts from all present, and then the mobwere again animated by the love of mischief that seemed to be thestrongest feelings that animated them.

  "Burn him out--burn him out!" were the only words that could be heardfrom any of the mob. The words ran through the house like wildfire,nobody thought of anything else, and all were seen running about inconfusion.

  There was no want of good will on the part of the mob to theundertaking; far from it, and they proceeded in the work _con amore_.They worked together with right good will, and the result was soon seenby the heaps of combustible materials that were collected in a shorttime from all parts of the house.

  All the old dry wood furniture that could be found was piled up in aheap, and to these were added a number of faggots, and also someshavings that were found in the cellar.

  "All right!" exclaimed one man, in exultation.

  "Yes," replied a second; "all right--all right! Set light to it, and hewill be smoked out if not burned."

  "Let us be sure that all are out of the house," suggested one of thebystanders.

  "Ay, ay," shouted several; "give them all a chance. Search through thehouse and give them a warning."

  "Very well; give me the light, and then when I come back I will setlight to the fire at once, and then I shall know all is empty, and sowill you too."

  This was at once agreed to by all, with acclamations, and the lightbeing handed to the man, he ascended the stairs, crying out in a loudvoice,--

  "Come out--come out! the house is on fire!"

  "Fire! fire! fire!" shouted the mob as a chorus, every now and then atintervals.

  In about ten minutes more, there came a cry of "all right; the house isempty," from up the stairs, and the man descended in haste to the hall.

  "Make haste, lads, and fire away, for I see the red coats are leavingthe town."

  "Hurra! hurra!" shouted the infuriated mob. "Fire--fire--fire the house!Burn out the vampyre! Burn down the house--burn him out, and see if hecan stand fire."

  Amidst all this tumult there came a sudden blaze upon all around, forthe pile had been fired.

  "Hurra!" shouted the mob--"hurra!" and they danced like maniacs roundthe fire; looking, in fact, like so many wild Indians, dancing roundtheir roasting victims, or some demons at an infernal feast.

  The torch had been put to twenty different places, and the flames unitedinto one, and suddenly shot up with a velocity, and roared with a soundthat caused many who were present to make a precipitate retreat from thehall.

  This soon became a necessary measure of self-preservation, and itrequired no urging to induce them to quit a place that was burningrapidly and even furiously.

  "Get the poles and firewood--get faggots," shouted some of the mob, and,lo, it was done almost by magic. They brought the faggots and wood piledup for winter use, and laid them near all the doors, and especially themain entrance. Nay, every gate or door belonging to the outhouses wasbrought forward and placed upon the fire, which now began to reach theupper stories.

  "Hurra--fire! Hurra--fire!"

  And a loud shout of triumph came from the mob as they viewed theprogress of the flames, as they came roaring and tearing through thehouse doors and the windows.

  Each new victory of the element was a signal to the mob for a cheer; anda hearty cheer, too, came from them.

  "Where is the vampyre now?" exclaimed one.

  "Ha! where is he?" said another.

  "If he be there," said the man, pointing to the flames, "I reckon he'sgot a warm berth of it, and, at the same time, very little water to boilin his kettle."

  "Ha, ha! what a funny old man is Bob Mason; he's always poking fun; he'djoke if his wife were dying."

  "There is many a true word spoken in jest," suggested another; "and, tomy mind, Bob Mason wouldn't be very much grieved if his wife were todie."

  "Die?" said Bob; "she and I have lived and quarrelled daily a matter offive-and-thirty years, and, if that ain't enough to make a man sick ofbeing married, and of his wife, hand me, that's all. I say I am tired."

  This was said with much apparent sincerity, and several laughed at theold man's heartiness.

  "It's all very well," said the old man; "it's all very well to laughabout matters you don't understand, but I know it isn't a joke--not abit on it. I tells you what it is, neighbour, I never made but one grandmistake in all my life."

  "And what was that?"

  "To tie myself to a woman."

  "Why, you'd get married to-morrow if your wife were to die to-day," saidone.

  "If I did, I hope I may marry a vampyre. I should have something then tothink about. I should know what's o'clock. But, as for my old woman,lord, lord, I wish Sir Francis Varney had had her for life. I'll warrantwhen the next natural term of his existence came round again, hewouldn't be in no hurry to renew it; if he did, I should say thatvampyres had the happy lot of managing women, which I haven't got."

  "No, nor anybody else."

  A loud shout now attracted their attention, and, upon looking in thequarter whence it came, they descried a large body of people comingtowards them; from one end of the mob could be seen a long string of redcoats.

  "The red coats!" shouted one.

  "The military!" shouted another.

  It was plain the military who had been placed in the town to quelldisturbances, had been made acquainted with the proceedings at SirFrancis Varney's house, and were now marching to relieve the place, andto save the property.

  They were, as we have stated, accompanied by a vast concourse of people,who came out to see what they were going to see, and seeing the flamesat Sir Francis Varney's house, they determined to come all the way, andbe present.

  The military, seeing the disturbance in the distance, and the flamesissuing from the windows, made the best of their way towards the sceneof tumult with what speed they could make.

  "Here they come," said one.

  "Yes, just in time to see what is done."

  "Yes, they can go back and say we have burned the vampyre's housedown--hurra!"

  "Hurra!" shouted the mob, in prolonged accents, and it reached the earsof the military.

  The officer urged the men onwards, and they responded to his words, byexerting themselves to step out a little faster.

  "Oh, they should have been here before this; it's no use, now, they aretoo late."

  "Yes, they are too late."

  "I wonder if the vampyre can breathe through the smoke, and live infire," said one.

  "I should think he must be able to do so, if he can stand shooting, aswe know he can--you can't kill a vampyre; but yet he must be consumed,if the fire actually touches him, but not unless he can bear almostanything."

  "So he can."

  "Hurra!" shouted the mob, as a tall flame shot through the top windowsof the house.

  The fire had got the ascendant now, and no hopes could be entertained,however extravagant, of saving the smallest article that had been leftin the mansion.

  "Hurra!" shouted the mob with the military, who came up with them.

  "Hurra!" shouted the others in reply.

  "Quick march!" said the officer; and then, in a loud, commanding tone,he shouted, "Clear the way, there! clear the way."

  "Ay, there's room enough for you," said old Mason; "what are you makingso much noise about?"

  There was a gene
ral laugh at the officer, who took no notice of thewords, but ordered his men up before the burning pile, which was now animmense mass of flame.

  The mob who had accompanied the military now mingled with the mob thathad set the house of Sir Francis Varney on fire ere the military hadcome up with them.

  "Halt!" cried out the officer; and the men, obedient to the word ofcommand, halted, and drew up in a double line before the house.

  There were then some words of command issued, and some more given tosome of the subalterns, and a party of men, under the command of asergeant, was sent off from the main body, to make a circuit of thehouse and grounds.

  The officer gazed for some moments upon the burning pile withoutspeaking; and then, turning to the next in command, he said in lowtones, as he looked upon the mob,--

  "We have come too late."

  "Yes, much."

  "The house is now nearly gutted."

  "It is."

  "And those who came crowding along with us are inextricably mingled withthe others who have been the cause of all this mischief: there's nodistinguishing them one from another."

  "And if you did, you could not say who had done it, and who had not; youcould prove nothing."

  "Exactly."

  "I shall not attempt to take prisoners, unless any act is perpetratedbeyond what has been done."

  "It is a singular affair."

  "Very."

  "This Sir Francis Varney is represented to be a courteous, gentlemanlyman," said the officer.

  "No doubt about it, but he's beset by a parcel of people who do not mindcutting a throat if they can get an opportunity of doing so."

  "And I expect they will."

  "Yes, when there is a popular excitement against any man, he had betterleave this part at once and altogether. It is dangerous to tamper withpopular prejudices; no man who has any value for his life ought to doso. It is a sheer act of suicide."