interior decoration and furnishings, but the place seemed abandoned; fear had perhaps caused the owners to leave quickly, and in their hurry they had left everything.

As we went from room, from floor to floor, we came to a room richly decorated in ivory colour ornately trimmed with gold paint. Gold brocade drapes hung at the three long windows, and draped the large gilt bed, upon which lay a man, not young not old. All around him on the bed was heaped money; gold and silver coins, bundles of bills, and deed boxes, perhaps containing stocks and bonds; jewels were scattered amongst this, and several open jewel boxes, in which the glittering jewels were seen, and were held close with his arms around them.

The man lay trembling, speechless with terror. When the power to speak returned, he told us his family were fools, they had fled leaving so much behind; and his servants were cowards, they had filled their pockets and arms full of what was his and had left him helpless. As his family and servants left the house he had seen them burned up by the flames. He said, “I am wise; I have gathered my valuables close to me. I am a rich man, a prominent man in this city; the fire shall not touch me.”

We spoke to him, asking him to leave these things and come with us to that which could not be destroyed; but he only laughed at us. And as he laughed some of the people who had followed us came into his room, and seeing the money and jewels fought with each other as they made their way to the bed to possess themselves of the earthly riches; and in the fight the man was killed.

The temptation was too great, the test of their faith too strong. They gathered up everything from the bed, throwing them to the floor so that they could search inside the bed clothing for what might be hidden there. We followed them as they rushed downstairs glutted with the sense of possession of something which they could sell and could thus replace what the fire had destroyed. Here they found food and wine which they took to a large room, locking the door against all intruders.

Talking the terrified trusting souls that remained with us we went up on the roof. Looking down, we saw some among the crowds with arms outstretched toward us, crying to us to come down and help them to the roof also. We told them to come up