"To tie myself to a woman."
"Why, you'd get married to-morrow if your wife were to die to-day," said one.
"If I did, I hope I may marry a vampyre. I should have something then to think 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 warrant when the next natural term of his existence came round again, he wouldn't be in no hurry to renew it; if he did, I should say that vampyres 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 the quarter whence it came, they descried a large body of people coming towards them; from one end of the mob could be seen along string of red coats.
"The red coats!" shouted one.
"The military!" shouted another.
It was plain the military who had been placed in the town to quell disturbances, had been made acquainted with the proceedings at Sir Francis Varney's house, and were now marching to relieve the place, and to 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 flames at Sir Francis Varney's house, they determined to come all the way, and be present.
The military, seeing the disturbance in the distance, and the flames issuing from the windows, made the best of their way towards the scene of 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 house down--hurra!"
"Hurra!" shouted the mob, in prolonged accents, and it reached the ears of the military.
The officer urged the men onwards, and they responded to his words, by exerting themselves to step out a little faster.
"Oh, they should have been here before this; it's no use, now, they are too late."
"Yes, they are too late."
"I wonder if the vampyre can breathe through the smoke, and live in fire," said one.
"I should think he must be able to do so, if he can stand shooting, as we 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 almost anything."
"So he can."
"Hurra!" shouted the mob, as a tall flame shot through the top windows of 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 left in 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 making so much noise about?"
There was a general laugh at the officer, who took no notice of the words, but ordered his men up before the burning pile, which was now an immense mass of flame.
The mob who had accompanied the military now mingled with the mob that had set the house of Sir Francis Varney on fire ere the military had come up with them.
"Halt!" cried out the officer; and the men, obedient to the word of command, halted, and drew up in a double line before the house.
There were then some words of command issued, and some more given to some of the subalterns, and a party of men, under the command of a sergeant, was sent off from the main body, to make a circuit of the house and grounds.
The officer gazed for some moments upon the burning pile without speaking; and then, turning to the next in command, he said in low tones, 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 with the others who have been the cause of all this mischief: there's no distinguishing them one from another."
"And if you did, you could not say who had done it, and who had not; you could prove nothing."
"Exactly."
"I shall not attempt to take prisoners, unless any act is perpetrated beyond what has been done."
"It is a singular affair."
"Very."
"This Sir Francis Varney is represented to be a courteous, gentlemanly man," said the officer.
"No doubt about it, but he's beset by a parcel of people who do not mind cutting a throat if they can get an opportunity of doing so."