| Show I I HEMMED IN BY FIRE I 1 For five fire years I J had been confined to my m armchair by b paralysis Occa I would be carried down to an open carriage and taken for an hour bour or two through the city elt or the neigh n boring country countr My legs vell thOro there Is la lano no necessity to io speak of them one of my m arms was still able to nove noc gild and thanks to it I could still sUll eat nt alone But Bu my m eyes yos CS were good goad go d and my m hearing was ras acute One day da han the time was extreme ly l dull I fancied that I would regain complete calmness jf If f I could hear an opera oper My I friends remonstrated but I insisted d I cannot thU how happy I Iwas was wasI I was W as going Ing to be filled with mu music music sic good music By D an nU unexpected chance chanco they played Le Pro one of the works that I i hail bail always al pre At last the lime hour came My I iy niece of sixteen was wag to accompany ac mo me Two strong men carried curried me in iii my m chair Fortunately we Ye did not live very vory or far fur front from the theatre My I nephew lIeI h had thoughtlessly sl secured seats se ts in the first circle No Xo matter my two h o bearers installed me there thore me and my armchair I was directly tl in the tenter lenter just opposite the time stage and I If saw f W admirably all ail the theatre torn from rom the tile pit and the tile orchestra chairs chaiT to tho the boxes box s of ot the fourth circle that legend legendary ary any place where you ou are not Incommoded ed erl by b the chandelier you see over oyer it t I remained alone with m my niece n ec who was wasas W S Sas as much enchanted as I was They The played pla d the first act I r do not remember ever er to have hae enjoyed Jd In my m mure life ure happiness go so complete so M heavenly h The second third and fourth acts nets were rendered In a manner that I thought ought t perfect During the tile sion I noticed be he between between tween two violoncellos an nn odd o d little creature In whom hom I felt unaccountably una Interested Ho n II was wa a poor miserable fellow shockingly shocking deformed but abut his features were werf quite regular re lar When he played all aU his lila body bod moved and appear appeared ed cd to wrap itself around the violoncello lIo lIoI I in a fantastic and an loving manner form ing a singular contrast his face fac as a serious and almost austere re ex cx expression expression and the light of enthusiasm illumined his eyes e eF eFI I mused in silence sIlene p until the thA moment when Jean of l Le Leyden oden thinks that he lie should reveal to his hi accomplices that they Y must die with him him Then The a white while smoke arose on the tile scene through the cracks crocks in the time floor It excited no po 10 at attention att nUon t and was wis only thicker than the tile smoke usually employed ed but hut suddenly there was an explosion and anti a 1 flash that dimmed the lights In the auditor auditorium auditorium ium mm then all an the dancers rushed to toward toward toward ward the wings the tenor lifted his white while robe and literally took flight and andall andall andall all the other singers and choristers dis disappeared disappeared disappeared appeared one after another What does docs this mean demanded ed some of the tile audience already alarmed Here a n young woman appeared on op the stage running The most frightful terror was expressed In her face fac The poor girl distracted sprang Into the tile orchestra screaming in a choking voice olce Fire The audience started with one sound Oh T r remember all as if jf it were still passing before my eyes e es The musicians stopped suddenly but not all together for some random notes broke forth here and there on the air afro Frantic with fear they rushed tc the door of the tile orchestra but quickly returned return d The retreat was cut off They The must mist m lt escape by oy the auditorium The auditorium Ah Aim there every thing was frightful horrible Incon Inconceivable inconceivable It was a battlefield At first I did not appreciate the thc danger and then I trembled and shook with an un unnatural unnatural unnatural natural fear Alone with Jeanne alone with that child who could do nothing me and ancI who remained calm I re realized that I must remain where I was without being able to stir at the mercy of the fire which would slowly advance to lick me up to burn me alive to con consume consumo consume sume sumo me mp Nevertheless s I did not lose losem my m presence of o mind Quirk Qu k said I to little Jeanne fly ly lym my m child and hasten to find some sonic one who will take tako me away awa if there is time timeA timeA A young man who had noticed my m niece hurried toward her Come Com little one said he to the child Without ceremony he pulled her along by b the hand But my uncle my uncle cried the theIrl girl sirl Irl Oh Oil let him come conic sharply answered two or three voices from the crowd who vho were crushing themselves without mercy at the tho narrow door They The left me there During this tills time the ille struggle was des desperate desperate desperate in iii the tile orchestra chains stalls and pit There Thero were only four doors each three feet wide for this torrent that wanted to rush out in two seconds The terrified people used all aU their efforts to reach these doors Each wished to pass those who were in advance They pushed cried shrieked and fought with fury Two strong men braced themselves back to back near an opening that they the Intended to pass before any an one else and during that time no one neither they the nor tha th others ethers could escape Be lie Behind Behind hind them were sobs and imprecations and the crowd pushed with blind fury I saw some Fome young men who had al iii already 11 ready felt folt the heat o ot the flames jump on the scats seats and then on the shoulders of those nearest t the door Thus they crawled along on their fellow tellow sufferers Meanwhile the scenery seen eo was vas burning b The flames were vere ere rapidly approaching the auditorium m The heat had ad become more intense I was perspiring freely but It wes was more from fear than from heat Already tho the spectacle was waa sub sublime lime sublime and grand In spite of the anguish which chilled my heart I 1 found something violently gay y in those enormous tongues of lime firc frisking be before before before fore me Inc and caressing the tho front of the till stage At the doors the tile contest was becom becoming becoming ing lag more violent more compact more frantic Oh woo woe to the weak Woe Yoe to the kind Woe to all those who had not yet consented to become ferocious beasts I saw a great demon his eyes dis distended distended tended tende with fear stretch ou out his hand He ITo seized by the shoulders a young ung woman In front of o him and dragged dagge her het backward rd so as to gain her place at The contracted figures of or that giant hand wera weta driven into her flesh and bruised and scratched scratch d it iL But she resisted madly madl fighting with all nil her strength and trying in ip her turn to plunge her lien nails into the tile face of the th cruel man That dastard da tard I Knew mew by sight He was regarded Jn In society as asa asa 1 a polished gentleman Suddenly a fireman appeared Why rh had he come I called out He looked look ct tot me seeming to ask what I was doing there and disappeared I r supposed he was coming to my m rescue Not at all Little by little however the theatre emptied Some who had waited until the lat last t still till had the courage cou ge to draw raw aw into the corridor the tho vanquished on whom the crowd bad had trampled tramped Among them thern many were mortally wounded The tire hatt reached r h d the orchestra The stands were w re overturned violins s flutes clarinets lay hir on the floor Scarcely any one on had the pres presence presence ence emice of mind to take away his hi instill Instrument ment On some of o the stands still ert eret there were scores and sheets of music alte iy l scorching The smoke quite thick from Itom the first was drawn rawl toward the root roof by b some phenomenon of ventilation I I Th sheets of f music curled curl d low lowI I I tin tile heat was Intolerable n aid aida a violin string broke from the he heat of ot the Ule fire lIre That pound of the dying dring In Instrument instrument strument was as heartrending h artlen ln in its sal sail sadness ness soon Foon oon all ail lie harp rp strings snapped one after another mother This admirable le ex cx exquisite Instrument nt seemed to sing fInS its He deAth Song in that agony A melody flew tie away al into the tho flame fiame with fth its soul pouL After ACter the harp liar the lh strings oc If e basa bas viol lol broke with a u sharp sound like the reports of ora ofa a revolver At this moment a n bond bead ro rose c In th the thedoor door of the parquet to the left It seemed to be b a I head JH atI Soon oon UK Uw body entered Suddenly it took in two insteps t wr steps forward and I screamed It was not hot a child It was ns the little deformed 1 musician Deliberately tely hp toward the ha A volume of n fir stopped topped him Ht Hi recoiled hut but appeared I not to renounce sonic some mad project Solz of z jug In a n favorable moment he hl darted fo foward i iward I ward His aroid arms covering his hi face to protect tt It he approached his place I among the musicians lam He lIe had lied returned J to seel his Crl nd his companion his I I saw paw him take the tho mont in iii both hands and try to lift It if over the time railing which separates the 01 o from the parquet What that folly I trembled violently with anxiety la 1 J voluntarily ard in a n terrible voice yO lee I J roared Go away WIl Go away aWa Probably he Ie did not hear me Time The fire 1 spread all around him bin He stood tood on n a j chair and then tit en placing one foot on the separating f railing dragged hIs hip hi violon violoncello cello ecHo I almost almot forgot my own situation in the excitement Poor little creature so o brave bro and who mut have hwe been FO so good and arid Intelligent and to whom I had never spoken I see him still there thero before e my eyes eyet e eti on op that chair chait and amid making those great efort Then all at once ho he Seemed Ee med to su suc suC sue c ed The Time violoncello finally cm I from HIP Ilie which encumber encumbered ed It moved toward him nearly at the same Instant all the tile violins and the tue light wood of which had become overheated burst burt In to a n blaze simultaneously i The little fellow eno relaxed his grasp Sra pl i tottered and fel fei forward headlong into i II the orchestra and upon his burning In instrument strument For some seconds I gasped I and stretched out my m arm my one arm II to the place where I had ha d seen geen that I strange and somber figure rise I r saw I I him still moving In the midst of the tIme I flames extend his blackened arms and 1 then sink into the glowing coals I The flames became more violent It was like a furnace The cornices c and other projecting parts of the front of o the stage kindled rapidly now I could scarcely distinguish anything more The smoke blinded and choked c me mc My time had come I was going to die diet t The enemy enem advanced slowly and steadily Had I lost nil all hope of being saved No Xo I r must admit that I had not Yes I hoped still My hopes were carefully built upon the death of the noor cellist Since he Ime had been able to return for tor his Instrument others would l be able to enter in search of me and arid carry me out Then like an Immense wave another ther volume of smoke enveloped and stifled I me Although the fire had not yet T cached the woodwork of my box the tue I heat was so gO violent that I began besan to feel my m blood boiling The sensation of burning became terribly appreciable I I knew I would not be able to retain con much more than two to min mm utes longer The sweat ran from my tn forehead and temples down my m cheeks checks and beard beardA i iA I A brand detached from I dont know where described a curve cure through the i auditorium and fell feU into the box next me My resignation could not with withstand I stand tand that Decidedly I did not want to die Save Saoe me roe Save Sae me I had no I other wish no other desire de lre i i I But my m fury fur my heartrending cries my frantic gestures were all in vain aln Xo No one came My y beard was scorching and commencing to burn I felt an itch ing sensation in my face on my neck and at the roots TOots of ot my m hair ow I made a great effort and moved in my chair There is still time thought thou ht I I determined to rise J and walk It was only for a moment After Arter inclining my body bod forward I made a sudden move movement movement movement ment My eyes flashed I believed I J was going to walk It was only for a moment No no my legs were not will ing lug They remained reluctantly para pain My excitement again became becam violent I tried once mor mon No o no po no Now I felt only that I was dying It was no longer possible to endure one degree of heat more Before my eyes ees eesa a blinding light t around me rue every eve everywhere where above me rne below belo me the fire tire I remained passive perhaps I fell I know nothing more I was abandoned Eight hours afterward aft I found myself In bed again My Iy little niec In running for help had fallen and was severely wounded in the head She had been carried away awa fainting and ld it was WIlS only after recovering her senses that sue she was able to speak Two men were die dis dispatched patched to my rescue and drew me mo from the fUrnace t just as I became un tin unconscious conscious Translated for the tile Argo Argonaut Argonaut Argonaut from the French of Camille De Dc bans |
