MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY 89 



small mind thought he was bound to finish his 

 errand. 



There being no recurrence of the tremblings 

 and shakings, we stood there looking at the house, 

 wondering whatever had happened inside. Oh ! 

 the drawing-room ! It sounded as if everything 

 had been swept from side to side. I dreaded to 

 see the desolation there must be, and feared another 

 quake might come if we went inside. Yet what 

 was to be done? we could not stay outdoors 

 all night. Somelbody must do something but 

 what? We sank into the chairs brought out of 

 the lower verandah for us, and waited for another 

 possible shake. In that one just passed, my 

 predominant feeling was, " Oh ! will it never end ? " 

 I hated it, and felt worried by it. It seemed to go 

 on and on, in increasing violence, and each second 

 I expected to see the earth gape open, and the house 

 fall into it. 



"Now," we said, "there may be still a worse 

 one to come." 



"Shall we ever be able to live in the house 

 again ? " 



" How can we tell if the walls will not come 



M 



