“The key of the church!” I shouted to the clerk. “We must try it that way⁠—we may save him yet if we can burst open the inner door.”

“No, no, no!” cried the old man. “No hope! the church key and the vestry key are on the same ring⁠—both inside there! Oh, sir, he’s past saving⁠—he’s dust and ashes by this time!”

“They’ll see the fire from the town,” said a voice from among the men behind me. “There’s a ingine in the town. They’ll save the church.”