laughing in his sleep.

At that moment there was the sound of a falling rafter in the adjoining
room. Every instant was worth a life, and there he lay in a sodden,
hopeless sleep.

Suddenly Sans Souci ran to the ewer; it was empty. There was no time to
be lost! every second was invaluable! He must be instantly roused, and
Jacquelina was not fastidious as to the means in doing so!

Leaping upon the bolster behind his great, stupid head, she reached
over, and, seizing the mass of his gray, grizzly beard, she pulled up
the wrong way with all her might, until, roaring with pain, he started
up in a fury, and, seeing her, exclaimed:

"Oh! you abominable little vixen! is that you: Do you dare! Are you
frantic, then? Oh, you outrageous little dare-devil! Won't I send you to
a mad-house, and have you put in a strait-jacket, till you know how to
behave yourself! You infernal little wretch, you!"

A sudden thought struck Sans Souci to move him by his affection for
herself.

"Uncle, look around you! The house is burning! if you do not rouse
yourself and save your poor little 'wretch,' she must perish in the
flames!"

This effectually brought him to his senses; he understood everything! he
leaped from his bed, seized a blanket, enveloped her in it, raised her
in his arms, and, forgetting gout, lameness, leg and all, bore her down